Pride and Prejudice, written by the famous Jane Austen, talks about the romantic life of the Bennet sisters and the neighborhood around them. The story starts off with Mr. Bingley coming over to the neighborhood to stay. When Mrs. Bennet hears that, she immediately makes plans for a marriage between Mr. Bingley and one of her own girls. Mrs. Bennet dreams of her daughters being married off to rich men. She doesn’t seem to care whether they are actually in love or not. Throughout the story, each and every one of her daughters gets married to pretty rich people. However, when reading this romance novel, we view the different ways of marriage and what it means. Are we simply like Mrs. Bennet who wishes for her daughters to marry rich men or are we more like Lizzy who only marries someone after a long time of thinking and deeper thought. Pride and Prejudice, a novel written with deep thought, teaches a lesson with even deeper lessons within.
During the Victorian era, marriage was crucial, especially for women. It was part of their role in life to have a successful marriage and have kids. Women were expected to do so and those who didn’t were constantly being bugged. Marriage was important as it provided financially stability to the female, and an heir to the male. Many girls back then were also expected to marry rich men. Jane, in Pride and Prejudice, had a successful marriage & relationship. She married the successful Mr. Bingley quickly which was approved by her mother, Mrs. Bennet, for she [Mrs. Bennet] only desire is for all her girls to be married off to rich men. During the Victorian period, marriages were imagined as matches made for personal fulfilment as much as for status and power. Jane only met Mr. Bingley a couple of times before deciding to commit to the marriage and marry Mr. Bingley. Like what Charlotte said, "Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance." Marriage from those days could be for many, many reasons. It could be for wealth (which most of the times it were), respect, personality, or social influence. Marriage, a representation of coming of age, was an important role for young women back then.
The style of marriage presented in the Victorian era, continues to impact modern marriage today. Depending on who you marry and who you would like to propose to, your whole life can change from there on. Some marriages between people are normal and others are quite surprising. Caroline Bingley wanted to marry the rich Mr. Darcy which made sense because both families are rich and by joining together, they would be mega-rich. Nowadays, it is quite often and unsurprising to see a news headline talking about a billionaire marrying another billionaire. This is common because billionaires are often around other billionaires. Just like how beggars are around beggars. Who you are around with can often impact who you end up with. Lady DeBourgh wants her daughter to marry Mr. Darcy for the same reason, because they are both rich. Mr. Collins wants to marry Lizzy which is also quite normal because they are from the same social class. However, there are also some people in the world labeled as gold diggers. These are people who marry for the money of the other person.Mr. Wickham, being poor, first set his eyes on Georgina Darcy, then on Mary King, for that both ladies are rich. Then, he chased Lydia pointlessly and was eventually bribed with money to marry her. In life today, there are also people who marry for money. You may see movies where someone leaves their partner for someone richer and more powerful. That is the side of human nature some people can’t control. Everyone wants to marry rich. The concept of marriage from the Victorian era continues to influence marriage in our society today.
In modern society, the concept of materialistic marriages has garnered attention and sparked debates among young people. In many modern tv shows or movies, you will see many different forms of marriage being represented. Materialistic marriages is something that you people today have a strong opinion on. Materialistic marriage describes marriage centered around wealth, money, and items. I bet 100% that all of you have seen or heard news where people cheated on their partner with another person who is richer and has more money. Many young people express a desire for materialistic marriages as they believe it offers stability and financial security. With the ever-increasing cost of living, individuals prioritize financial compatibility/stability and the prospect of a secure future. All nowaday parents, like Mrs. Bennet, want their own children to grow up and marry someone with money who can eventually support them in the future. However, since materialistic marriages are based on money and items, not love, divorce and cheating on one another is more common as couples may not love each other when their money disappears or when they find someone richer and better looking. Materialistic marriages, built on financial success items, can create a seemingly ideal environment for young couples to start their lives, when in reality, there is no love and connection between them.
Pride and Prejudice, a novel focused on the life of the Bennets, talks about a romance story between the people in the neighborhood. Different people have different views on love and marriage and Pride and Prejudice is just one of the many examples. Are we more like Mrs. Bennet, someone who hopes that her children shall marry rich men or are we more like Jane and Bingley who actually love each other. The quote in the front of the book, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” resembles greatly the moral of the story. Back in the 1800s, rich men would want a pretty wife who’d give him a son. However, then, women needed husbands much more than a man needed a pretty wife. Charlotte and Collins' marriage represents so. The title of the book also describes Darcy and Lizzy’s marriage. Darcy overcame his pride and Lizzy overcame her prejudice resulting in a good balanced marriage. The five marriages mentioned in Pride and Prejudice give us good examples of marriage in real life.
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