Love and Relationships in Two Eighteenth Century Novels: Three Musketeers, Pride and Prejudice

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Recommended: Analysis of Pride and prejudice

Two novels written before the nineteenth century were, Pride and Prejudice and The Three Musketeers. In the first novel, Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen, there is the Bennet family. They have five daughters and Mrs.Bennet is very eager to get them all married. At coincidental timing Mr.Bingley, a wealthy single man comes to Netherfield. After a social visit by Mr.Bennet to Mr.Bingley, the Bennets are invited to a ball. At the ball Jane immediately catches the attention of Mr.Bingley and they spend the entire evening dancing together, however for Mr.Bingley’s friend Darcy, the same cannot be told. Elizabeth was recommended to dance with him but he arrogantly and very rudely turned her down. Eventually after having many encounters with Elizabeth at other balls and such, he is attracted by her intelligence and charm. At the start of winter Mr.Bingley and Darcy leave Netherfield to go back home. Therefore Jane visits the city in hopes to see Mr.Bingley, but instead is scorned by Miss Bingley (Mr.Bingley sister) and sadly returns. A little bit after Elizabeth goes to visit her best friend Charlotte, who lives near Darcy’s aunt. Upon hearing this Darcy comes to the house and proposes to Elizabeth by confessing his love for her. But she rejects him immediately calling him arrogant and scolds him for steering Mr.Bingley away from Jane and disinheriting Wickham. Darcy does not respond and just leaves. Shortly after Darcy writes a letter to Elizabeth explaining that he steered Mr.Bingley away from Jane because he felt the relationship was not going anywhere. He also explains that the real cause of their disagreement was that Wickham (a man in the militia that the younger Bennet girls have fallen in love with) was attempting to ... ... middle of paper ... ... eventually when they are about to married. This demonstrates that love is happiness. “Well! I am so happy! In a short time I shall have a daughter married. Mrs. Wickham! – how well is sounds!”(Austen 235) To conclude there are many “star crossed lovers” in the world. They can possibly fall in love but, also be drawn by the trap of temptation. Temptation comes in many forms money, power, information etc. Some couples that failed in these two novels were D’Artagnan and Milady, Athos and Milady, and lastly Jane and Mr.Bingley. Some couples that persevered through this were D’Artagnan and M.Bonacieux, Lydia and Wickham, and finally Elizabeth and Darcy. Ultimately love has become the triumph of the heart over greed. People just have to learn to control temptation because it truly is a curse by the devil but, they must also cherish love because it is a gift by the gods.

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