I. Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice
1.1 Jane Austen
Jane Auten (1775-1817), a most well-known female writer in the history of English literature, was born in Steventon on December 16 1775. And she lived peacefully in a small social circle all her life. She was the youngest of seven children in her family. She received most of her education at home. Her family are all fond of reading books, which influenced her very much. Her reading extended little beyond the literature of the eighteenth century, and within that period she admired Dr. Johnson particularly. Later she was delighted with both the poetry and prose of Scott,. she died on July 18 1817 and she never married. Austen was buried in the cathedral in Winchester.
Jane Austen wrote only six complete novels, two of which were published after her death. Her best-known books include Sense and Sensibility(1811), Pride and Prejudice(1813),and Emma(1816). Each is perfect, and there is no choosing between them for one who enjoys her quiet irony and her simple delicate analysis of character. There are no heroic passions nor astounding adventures. Northanger Abbey is a gentle satire on the mystery tale of haunted castles. And in all her novels the love-making of her young people, though serious and sympathetic, is subduced by humor to the ordinary plane of emotion on which most of us live. She was the founder of the novel which deals with unimportant middleclass people and of which there are many fine examples in latter English fiction.
Her style is easy and effortless. In these novels the life of the gentry, land-owners and clergy at the end of the eighteenth and the early part of the nineteenth centuries is shown in detail.
All Jane Austen's work shows a recognizable standard of values .Her father was a country vicar, so Jane took for granted that a person should be sincere, unselfish, disinterested and unworldly, and that virtue should be judged by good sense and good taste. These beliefs are fundamental to her work. Throughout her life Jane Austen had been guided by Christian principles, and she accepted the Church's teaching without question. Her faith is implicit in all her writing: the virtues of a disciplined life, a caring relationship between husband and loving upbringing, are reflected in her letters and in her novels. At her death she expected to appear before God and be judged. Jane Austen's interest revolved around people-their eccentricities, appearance and dialogue. From them she created the characters which give her novels universal and lasting appeal.
1.2 Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is the most enduringly popular novel written by Jane Austen. It is Jane Austen's second novel. Written between October 1796 and August 1799.The original name of the story is “ First Impression”, because the appearances of the characters created the plot of the novel. The novel shows the foolishness of trusting frist impressions which are corrected by understanding and reflection. The author fully expresses her views on marriage that an ieal marriage should be based on mutual affection and mutrul understanding, and the successful marriage must be also based on true love and financial stability. In Pride and Prejudice the business of Mrs Bennet's whole life was to get her five daughters married, for on the death of her husband the family's house would devolve by entail on to a cousin and she and the girls would be homeless. Consequently she heard with elation that Netherfield Park, one of the great houses of the neighborhood, had been let to a London gentleman named Mr. Bingley. Gossip such as Mr. Bennet loved reported him a rich and altogether eligible young bachelor. Mr. Bennet heard the news with his usual dry calmness, suggesting in his mild way that perhaps Bingley was not moving into the country for the single purpose of marrying one of the Bennet daughters.#p#分页标题#e#
In Pride and Prejudice,the four young couples' marriage can be categorized into two groups according to their different marriage foundation. Simply one just like Charlotte — Collins and Lydia — Wickham is called unhappy marriage based not on ture love. The other one like Elizabeth — Darcy and Jane — Bingley is the opposite. It is their marriages that come to a real happy end. By analyzing the four marriage in this novel, we can see Jane Austen's views on marriage.
Ⅱ . Four Marriage in Pride and Prejudice
The stories show the ordinary lives, feelings of the ordinary people. They were linked up in a harmonious order under the author's meticulous concepts. The work mainly describes four marriages. Two are the main and assisted by the other two assistant marriages. “Darcy and Elizabeth’s love and marriage is the main theme of this work. After undergoing many setbacks, Darcy’s arrogance and Elizabeth’s prejudice eventually eliminates, the lovers finally get married. The marriage of Elizabeth’s sister Jane and Darcy’s friend Bingley is another clue. They deeply love each other, but they are multi—blocked, after their departure, Jane misses Bingley very much. The two marriages reflects the another point of view in positive way that marriage should be based on true love, which is the ideal marry in the author’s opinion. The stories seem to be the ordinary lives, feelings and persons linked up in a harmonious order under the others meticulous concepts. However, the marriage between Charlotte and Collins is a negative example with the marriage between Lydia and Wickham, which help to make the plots more tortuous and richer.”
2.1 Collins and Charlotte
In Pride and Prejudice, when the homely and plain Charlotte decided to marry Collins, Her reflections were in general satifactory, without thinking highy either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object, it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune. In fact what Charlotte asks is only a comfortable shatter, a higher social position and a better wealth. which she explains to Elizabeth, “I am not romantic, you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair, as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.” (Austen, 113) For Collins, he is a man who does not know what love is at all. When Mr. Collins first proposed to Elizabeth, much to her mother's displeasure and her father's joy she firmly and promptly rejected him. He almost immediately transferred his affections to Elizabeth's best friend, Charlotte Lucas, who, twenty-seven and somewhat homely, accepted at once his offer of marriage. Collins’ decision to marry Charlotte is only because of Elizabeth’s refusal to him. What he needs is just a wife who helps him not to be a single man any more.#p#分页标题#e#
2.2 Lydia and Wickham
In the novel, we known Lydia, Mr.Bennet's third daughter, she was spoilt by her mother, so she was very conceited and arrogant, and behave frivolously. Wickham, he has no other advantage except for his attractive physical appearance. In his opinion, love is lonly recreation. Due to he was trouble with a large debt, so he entices Lydia and get her love easily. When their love does not get the permission from the parents, then they elope. When Elizabeth hears the news, she believes that their love does not have happy end. Really, Wickham would not marry Lydia, because she was no charming and has nothing to attract him. He does not love her but the wealth of her family. The marriage was admitted on the condition of Darcy's help.
2.3 Jane and Bingley
Jane was the oldest of Mr.Bennet daughter, a pretty girl of sweet and gentle disposition. Bingley was an immediate success in local society. At the first ball, Jane has a good impression of Bingley, and it is the same to Bingley. They were attracted to each other at once. After the ball,“When Jane and Elizabeth were alone, the former, who had been cautious in her praise of Mr. Bingley before, expressed to her sister how very much She admired him.”(Austen, 11) For Bingley, he had an easily-led temper. He was so modest and pliable that he had no opinion about his own marriage. No matter how obvious his attachment to Jane was, he believed Darcy’s representation of Jane’s indifference was true. Because Mr. Bingley’s two sisters didn’t like Jane, they thought Mr. Bingley should choose Georgiana,she is Darcy’s sister as his wife. So they also disagree with Bingley about his marriage with Jane. Under the influences of his sisters and Mr. Darcy, Bingley began to doubt Jane’s affection to him. Finally, he thought Jane didn’t love him, so he left her without saying good-bye. Later, when all the misunderstandings clarified, he came back to Jane at Darcy’s assistance. Bingley’s indecisive character determines his happiness and results that his life was controlled by others. Later on a visit to Bingleys, Jane’s love affair with Bingley is advanced. Even Bingley is apparently on the point of proposing to Jane. Actually Bingly is attracted by Jane’s tenderness and beautiful appearance, while Jane is attracted by his gentle manner. They loved with each other.
2.4 Darcy and Elizabeth
The heroine of this novel, Elizabeth's love is very important. At the beginning, Elizabeth refused to accept Darcy pursue. Because in Elizabeth's eyes, Darcy is very cold and extremely proud, he is rich and has high social status, and he look down upon the middle-classe girls. In particular, he insulted Elizabeth Bennet, a girl of spirit and intelligence and her father's favorite. He refused to dance with her when she was sitting down for lack of a partner, and said in her hearing that he was in no to prefer young ladies slighted by other men. But on future occasions, however, Darcy began to admire Elizabeth in spite of himself. At a later ball Elizabeth had the satisfaction of refusing him a dance. Bingley's sister Caroline, who was eager to marry Darcy and shrewdly aware of his growing admiration for Elizabeth, was especially loud in her ridicule of the Bennet family.Later, Elizabeth herself became Caroline's particular target. Darcy admitted to himself that he would be in some danger from the charm of Elizabeth, if it were not for her interior family connections. When Wickham said about Darcy down, making Elizabeth more of his misunderstanding of the deep. However, by the fact that Darcy is a good man. When Lydia and Wickham eloped, Darcy find them and help them. When Lydia came home as heedless as ever, she told Elizabeth that Darcy had attended her wedding. Elizabeth, suspecting the truth, learned from Mr. Gardiner that it was indeed Darcy who brought about the marriage by giving Wickham money. Finally, Elizabeth changed her impression of Darcy, she was more favorably inclined to him than ever before, hoped his coming meant that he still loved her, but he gave no sign. Soon afterward Lady Catherine paid the Bennets an unexpected call. Hoping her own daughter to Darcy, she had charged down with characteristic bad manners to order Elizabeth not to accept his proposal. Unluckily for her own purpose, repeated to Darcy the substance of her conversation with Elizabeth, and he knew Elizabeth well enough to surmise that her feelings to ward him had greatly changed. He returned to Netherfield Park, they fell in love with each other and became engaged.They have an happy life.#p#分页标题#e#
Ⅲ.Jane Austen's Views on Marriage in Pride and Prejudice
This thesis focuses on marriage in British women writer Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. The topic is elicited out by the first sentence of this novel, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” (Jane Austen, 2003: 1) Firstly, state what does a marriage mean to a woman with analyzing on what was the social status of women at Jane Austen’s time. Secondly, give a detailed introductions about four marriages in this novel and finally analyze these marriages and reach the conclusion that a marriage should be based on true love, financial stability, mutual attraction, and happiness.
3.1 On the Basis of Mutual Attraction and Mutual Understanding
Mutual attraction is the most important in the authoress's views. One who betrays his or her heart will never own ture love that is beyond money and social position. This element is what Austen puts a great deal of emphasis on. The heroine in the fiction, Elizabeth, is a loyal follower of her own affection. She encourages Jane to pursue true love with Bingley, and has a disgust for Caroline's overflowing flattery of Darcy for the purpose of marrying the latter whose fortune and position are a great appeal to herself, regardless of the young gentleman's affection. In face of Mr. Collins's proposal, Elizabeth refuses him without hesitation, for her cousin wants to marry her just because he thinks Elizabeth is fit to be his wife and this union is his bestowment to the Bennets. Elizabeth is committed to her ture feelings, because there is no mutual atrraction between them. She believes happiness marriage is grounded upon mutual attraction. That's why she is so surprised at Charlotte's engagement to Collins whose character is an odd combination of servility and self-conceit, let alone lacking self-independence, while Charlotte is wise and quick. Though, afterwards, Elizabeth is informed of the reason why her best friend makes such as a decision, she feels intolerable to learn to ignore the existence of someone who may live with her all life long with no affection for the sake of a modest living. So we know that the mutual attraction is very important in marriage. The marriage between Elizabeth and Darcy typically shows that we should not simply judge a person from the first sight of appearance and impression. It takes time to understand each other completely. Elizabeth and Darcy both show their prejudice on the first sight without further communication. But Darcy cannot risist his affection to Elizabeth. And a sequence of events that connected with them provide them chances to know each other, so that the misunderstanding between them was got rid of and their relationships grew sounder. The marriage between Lydia and Wickham is the counter example of the first-sight love. They were attracted by the appearance and impulsive sex desires. Lydia didn’t know Wickham at all that he was immoral and owe debt to his neck. Their marriage was proved unhappy at last. Love should base on mutual understanding, and understanding takes time. Hasty marriage results in unhappy marriage.#p#分页标题#e#
3.2 The Importance of Ture Love
Elizabeth is the ideal image for women as well as the most charismatic person in the novel. She is Bonnet’s second daughter, an active, intelligent and smart girl. She has a middle-class family background and has not been affected by the formal education belonging to those aristocratic young girls, so she isn't good at music and painting, but she has read many books which make her knowledgeable and perceptive. The most important aspect is that she is a lady with dignity and upbringing. Darcy is a man with tall figure and good manner. He is handsome, rich and powerful. So he is the ideal husband of most girls. But he has grown up in the surroundings with strong sense of power, so he always is selfish and arrogant, and he has a critical look at each individual, except the family members., he is not concerned about anyone else, and looks down upon anyone else. Therefore, when he first arrives in the village, he finds all the persons are far away from those imagined .Although every girl there is young and lovely, he has no interest to anyone except Elizabeth. At first he doesn’t put an eye on Elizabeth. Gradually, he has to admit that Elizabeth is beautiful, distinct and popular, although he insists that Elizabeth hasn't the same social status as him. Darcy is rational because he has a strong sense of power, which agrees on the reality at that time. Although he expresses his love to Elizabeth, he couldn't help showing his arrogance, which makes Elizabeth have misconception and prejudice on Darcy. Darcy loves Elizabeth, but looks down upon her social status. He considers that he has been lowing himself and doing something against his will, personalities and even moral standard. He thinks that his marriage would certainly succeed and Elizabeth is waiting for him to propose marriage. Therefore, even he is irresistible to the flooding feelings, and condescends to Elizabeth, he still remembers the gap between them. Clearly, the rational aspect of Darcy’s personality performs on the realities of society.When Darcy talks about his feelings of love, he also expresses the arrogance of these feelings in details, which results in the arousing resentment of Elizabeth; she rejects his marriage proposal, and angrily accuses his insolence.
The rational aspect of the heroine Elizabeth shows her clear, calm and actually stressful personality. Compared with her stupid mother, the smooth and lazy father, the shallow-minded, self-willed sister with feather head, Elizabeth is one with ideal mind. She is elegant like her sister Jane, but more intellectually superior unlike her sister being easy to be favorable. She also advises her sister to see through the stupidity and nonsense of those camouflage honest persons. Elizabeth is unique, because she has a deep understanding of all the things around her. In fact both she and Darcy are extremely sensitive to the social status. Different from Darcy, Elizabeth doesn’t have superiority about her family background and status. Instead, she feels deeply ashamed for her sister’s being lack of fairly education and her mother's rudeness and stupidity. Compared with her moderate and generous sister Jane, she is smarter and even more profound. She has a clean understanding about her own social status, which is due to the psychotically sedimentary deposits because she is in a inferior position for long time. Because of this, she resists extremely against the arrogance of Darcy, and she tries her best to protect herself from being hurtled by Darcy's commanding attitude. She believes that she must make him understand that she is not woozy, which reflects her belief to deal with the emotional entanglements with Darcy, as well as her constant patter with Darcy and the prejudice on Darcy. It superficially seems to be shared by the traditional psychological requirement that everyone needs to be respected mutually. Mutually speaking, this is another form of expression about the awareness of status. Perhaps, to some extent, Darcy has more romantic temperament than Elizabeth, it is because he is better positioned than her. Elizabeth refuses the stupid priest Collins and challenges wealthy Darcy, all of this is actually the resistance of the prevailing marriage at that time. The ultimate failure makes Darcy wake up. He is aware of his own short-comings. He accepts Elizabeth’s criticism, and faithfully corrects the shortcomings and mistakes. He is no longer arrogant and has a real love with Elizabeth. With the revealing of the truth, Elizabeth’s prejudice on Darcy becomes deeper. Until when Elizabeth refuses Darcy’s long love letter, she experiences the fierce shock. After undergoing a period of painful and profound thought, she could not help but to shout how despicable she is, she believes she is the excellent one in the family, she is skillful and always despises her sister’s dress. In order to satisfy her own vanity, she always treats people with an irrelevant suspicion and confusion. How shameful it is! But this shame serves her right. Even if she really falls in love with someone, she should not be so blind to meet this flunking stage. She is stupid not only in love, but in the vanity. When she first knows them two, one loves her and makes her feel happy, and the other treats her in a cold manner, which makes her angry. #p#分页标题#e#
相关文章
UKthesis provides an online writing service for all types of academic writing. Check out some of them and don't hesitate to place your order.