Pride and Prejudice
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in
possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
Taken from Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, this is
probably one of the most famous opening sentences in English
literature. It is clear to see from this one sentence that the novel
is going to be about money, marriage and morals. The question is, from
whose perspective, is a single, rich man in want of a wife?
As we begin to read the novel, it becomes apparent that it is Mrs
Bennet who believes that all rich, single men must be in want of a
wife when she says at the beginning of the very first chapter, "A
single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine
thing for our girls," (volume 1, chapter 1, page 1). Mr and Mrs Bennet
have just five daughters. Unfortunately for them, they have no sons
and in the time of Jane Austen writing Pride and Prejudice, it was
only the sons who could, and would, inherit the wealth of the family.
Therefore, with the Bennets having just daughters, it meant that the
closest male relative, a cousin in this instance named Mr Collins, to
the head of the household, Mr Bennet, would inherit his wealth. The
ladies would then be left having to rely on family and would hope to
be provided with all they needed. So, it was imperative to Mrs Bennet
that at least one of her daughter's, if not all, married well. Well
enough to be able to provide security for herself, the other daughters
and of course, Mrs Bennet, should anything happen to Mr Bennet. In
fact, as we see at the beginning of chapter three, when Mrs Bennet
says, "If I can see but one of my daughters happily settled at
Netherfield, and the others equally well married, I shall have nothing
to wish for," (volume 1, chapter 3, page 5), that she would want for
nothing else.
As interactions between potential couples didn't happen very often, it
was difficult for them to get to know each other properly. Generally,
the only chance potential couples had of interacting with each other
was at assembly balls, arranged by fellow family members or friends.
Even then, they didn't get much chance of privacy and could only chat
privately whilst dancing. "To be fond of dancing was a sure step
towards falling in love," (volume1, chapter 3, page 5).
As we progress through the novel, we see the heir to Mr Bennet's
wealth, Mr Collins, plan to marry one of the Bennet girls as an "offer
The first character from Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet, was born into a poor family but her family was full of love. Elizabeth grew up in a time where marriage was more important to marry someone who had money, than to marry for love. It was said back during this time period that, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good
‘Pride and Prejudice’ is a novel fixated on marriage: throughout, all the ‘action’ occurs within scenes devoted to either the talk of marriage or actual proposals. This cannot be expounded more than within the very first line: ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife’. Here, at the beginning of the novel, a definite, though somewhat sarcastic, statement introduces the main theme of the novel – marriage- and, possibly more importantly, not love.
Chapter forty-four in Sense and Sensibility is an emotional confession of Mr. Willoughby to Elinor when he comes to check on a sick Marianne. While this scene is intended to pardon Willoughby, many pieces of this chapter show how undeserving he still is of Elinor and Marianne’s forgiveness.
fortune. Is this to be endured! But it must not, shall not be. If you
After his wife has declared that the new man shall be “a fine thing for … [their] girls” , Mr. Bennet replies, “How so? How can it affect them?”. Although Mr. Bennet seems for a moment to be less set on the idea of marrying off his daughters, Mrs. Bennet believes that he “must know that … [she is] thinking of his marrying one of them.” The way in which Mrs. Bennet simply expects her daughters to marry this man shows a systematic and societal disregard for choice and women’s rights. Even more startling is the fact that Mrs. Bennet considers the prospect of marriage so obvious that her husband must know what she is planning. Austen clearly acknowledges how widespread the ideas are, which still making it clear that they are to be questioned, as Mr. Bennet did. Mr. Bennet, soon after acting as a critique on expectations, becomes a foil for the power held by his wife. When the idea of visiting wealthy, single men is broached, Mr. Bennet declares that the ladies “will not visit them” . The women in the Bennet family, and society as a whole are literally powerless to make their own choices or attempt to make their own matches since this must be done by their husband or father.
...Prejudice shows not only the prevailing attitudes regarding the time Austen lived in, but also the impact of money on love and marriage. Although the novel was written almost two hundred years ago, it suggests a great deal about the ideas that have helped to shape modern ideals for a spouse. The idea of marrying among one's own class and the advantages of marrying well are still present in society today, although it is believed to have of less importance. Maybe this was true, the phrase "It is just as easy to fall in love with a poor man as it is to fall in love with a rich one" would not still be commonly known. Perhaps the timelessness of Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice is directly related to the timelessness of the ideas that if one marries, it will never hurt to marry well.
During the late 1700’s to early 1800’s love is almost nonexistent. Love is simply a bonus, not a necessity. A woman’s husband determines her social standing during this time period because women are restricted from legally owning property. For this reason Mr. Bennet must leave his estate to his nephew Mr. Collins, rather than to one of his daughters. Mrs. Bennet desires that one of her daughters marry Mr. Bingley because throughout this time British culture centers on the accumulation of wealth within the family. In Chapter 1, Mrs. Bennet says, "Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls,” (1). Not concerned with Mr. Bingley’s personality or mannerisms, Mrs. Bennet considers only that one of her daughters might marry into his immense wealth. The first line of the novel states, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife,” (...
Austen satirizes the expectation that women must marry wealthy men, primarily through tone and diction. The novel opens by stating that a wealthy bachelor “must” (5) want a wife. The word “must” implies that a rich man is entitled to want a wife, and that entitlement is granted by the social norms of the time. The word also adds to Austen’s sarcasm that a wealthy man is obligated to want a wife, she mocks this mindset. This idea is further ridiculed through the character of Mrs.Bennet, who describes to her husband the man she wishes to be her son-in-law. During this description, Mrs.Bennet mentions the man’s abundance of fortune, and how much he is worth but fails to mention his name. Austen deliberately chooses to leave out the man’s name in her description in order to depict the idea that, personality or compatibility is not regarded when marriage eligibility is being determined, rather only wealth and reputation is regarded. Austen satirizes this mindset interactions between the incompatible Mr. and Mrs.Bennet. Through an abundance of dialogue, it is evident that Mrs.Bennet is talkative and a gossiper. Contrastingly, Mr.Bennet barely speaks or even replies to Mrs.Bennet, suggesting his lack of interest. Mrs.Bennet “impatiently” (5) waits for Mr.Bennet to reply and partake in her gossip, but he does not seem to take much interest
Have you ever wondered why people focus so much on growing up and getting married? Mrs. Bennet's main concern in life is to see that all her daughters are married, preferably to wealthy men. She doesn't even seem to care whether or not her daughters truly love the men. There are many times in the book when Mrs. Bennet tries to set her daughters up with men. For example, when Bingley first moves to Netherfield Park, Mrs. Bennet encourages Mr. Bennet to meet him and make friends with him before any of the other neighbors. Another example of Mrs. Bennet's attempts to marry off her daughters is when Jane becomes ill while at Netherfield. Mrs. Bennet encourages Jane to stay instead of coming home because she feels this will bring her closer to Bingley (Citation). Arranged marriages were not an uncommon this during this time. Although arranged marriages occur less often now, dating is still very much arranged at times. The perfect example of arranged dating is Carmel Catholic High School's Homecoming dance. Many of my friends have been set up with guys they have never even spoken a word to. They were so desperate to go to the dance; they didn't care who their date was. This directly relates to the Pride and the Prejudice. For example, Mr. Collins proposes to Charlotte Lucas who accepts his offer. Charlotte, who greatly fears being single, doesn't even truly love Mr. Collins. She does not care if her husband is foolish and vain, as long as she has a husband. Charlotte has no romantic ideas that marriage must be based on love. She tells Elizabeth, "I am not romantic you know. . . I only ask for a comfortable home."(chapter 22)
Marriage’s function in the early 1800’s was mainly to obtain an upper social status in the society. Women in the early 1800’s would usually marry men of an upper social class. Austen begins her novel with the sentence “It’s a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife” (Austen 5). The opening sentence hides the idea that there must be a girl looking for a husband with good fortune. Mrs. Bennet views Mr. Bingley’s arrival into the neighborhood as an opportunity for her daughters to marry a rich
”My dear Miss Eliza, why are not you dancing? “Mr Darcy, you must allow me to present this young lady to you as a very desirable partner. – You cannot refuse to dance, I am sure, when so much beauty is before you”. And taking her hand, he would have given it to Mr Darcy, who, though extremely surprised, was not unwilling to receive it, when she instantly drew back, and said with some discomposure to sir William, “indeed, Sir, I have not the least intention of dancing. -I entreat you not to suppose that I moved this way in order to beg for a partner “. Mr Darcy with grave propriety requested to be allowed the honour of her hand; but in vain. Elizabeth was determined: nor did Sir William at all shake her purpose by his attempt at persuasion.
In 1813, a woman’s main goal was marriage. Females wanted to find a man who could provide for them and take care of them; not all women wanted love. Many were fine with living on a wealthy estate and living in an upper-class manner. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel about the Bennet sisters, five girls whom, in the time of 1813, are all unmarried and are looking for husbands. The central conflict is based around two young women, the eldest of the five Bennet daughters, Jane and Elizabeth. The girls have their similarities and differences, and can be compared and contrasted in many ways; in terms of which is stronger at handling the pressure of relationships, context clues give a valid answer. What the reader must interpret for his
The roles of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice are contrasted between a father who cares about what’s inside of people and a mother who only worries about vanity and appearance. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s parental guidance is unique to their personalities. Because of their two opposing personas, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s ideas of marriage are contradictory for their daughters; Mr. Bennet believes in a loving respectful marriage whereas Mrs. Bennet values a marriage which concerns wealth and social status. Their aspirations for Lydia, Jane, Mary, Kitty and Elizabeth mirror their conflicting ideologies. Mr. Bennet seems to have a quiet deep love for his daughters while, on the contrary, Mrs. Bennet’s love is over-acted and conditional. Both parents help to shape their daughters’ characteristics and beliefs: Lydia reflecting Mrs. Bennet’s flighty and excessive behavior while Elizabeth inherits Mr. Bennet’s pensive and reflective temperament. Looking past their dissimilar personality traits and contradicting convictions, both parents hold the family together and play an integral role in the household structure.
As we read on, we see a change in Darcy, and feel that his heart of
Mrs. Bennet attempts to marry off her daughters to the best possible men. This was recognised by everyone and she often appeared to embarrass her daughters whenever she spoke. In her eyes the men she wanted for her daughters were wealthy, socially powerful and polite men. The idea that her daughters should marry for gain in material aspects of life was much more important for Mrs. Bennet than for her daughters to marry someone they were in love with. She believed that the family should organize the arrangement, seeing as the young girls are under the care of the family. Mrs. Bennet believes "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Therefore, she be...