LITERATURE

Literature

Literature

1-Marriages during Jane Austen's Time

Referring to the type of marriages that took place in Jane Austen's time the themes of class and class consciousness, as seen in Pride and Prejudice, strictly regulate the daily lives of middle and upper class men and women at this period in England. In her novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen portrays class-consciousness mainly through the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth as it was from when they first met until the time when Elizabeth visits Pemberley. Jane Austen lived in a mercenary world and this is reflected in her novel. In "Pride and Prejudice" no mystery is made of the need to wed for money. Jane Austen reflects different types of marriage in her novel. There is mercenary marriage, brought about solely for economic reasons. Such would have been the marriage between Mr Collins and Elizabeth. Mr Collins' proposal was fuelled by his own economic motives, desire to please the aristocratic Lady Catherine and by Mrs Bennet's economic fears that Elizabeth will inherit little money when her father dies: not real feelings or any aspect of love. Contrasting this is the ideal marriage. Marriages 'rationally founded,' based on, 'excellent understanding,' and, 'general similarity of feeling and taste,' (Bates, Pp. 15) Such is the wedding ceremony between Darcy and Elizabeth. Although Elizabeth refused Darcy's first proposal, it was ultimately made because of true emotional feelings, respect and admiration for Elizabeth. It is clear through the proposals that women did not always have a very high standing. For some women were simply interchangeable. For example when Mr Collins finds that Jane is taken he immediately move his marital interests to Elizabeth. It appears that women did not always have a high enough standing to even choose their partner in marriage. Some women were forced into marriage not by love or choice, but by family and the pressure to increase or maintain a social reputation. For example Mrs Bennett attempts to force Elizabeth into marrying Mr Collins.. It is not all women who have Elizabeth's strength of character not to be pushed, for example Charlotte did not. It appears that women could sometimes be the victim of emotional blackmail.

2-Love and Marriage in the 19th Century

To demonstrate the importance of sense in the 19th century society, Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" presents the reader with contrasts between characters who initially epitomise sense and sensibility. The actual plot revolves around events that occur in these characters lives, these characters being Elinor Dashwood (sense) and her younger sister Marianne Dashwood (sensibility). The two sisters undergo their own series of situations which happen to be comparable and so the reader is able to witness how each one responds or behaves as well as the consequences of their respective actions. The differences between sense and feeling are emphasised particularly by how they behaved with their suitors and also their reactions towards their own personal disappointments of broken romance. However it also deals with the individual balancing both sense and sensibility in order to ...