Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Essay Example

Introduction: Jane Austen and the Purpose of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, at Steventon, Hampshire in England. She was the seventh child and the second daughter of George Austen and Cassandra. Jane was ever fascinated by a world of stories and began to write in bound notebooks and latter in her adolescent; she started crafting her novels. She wrote her first novel love and friendship as a series of love letters which was followed by The History of England. Jane gained popularity in 1859, and her reputation skyrocketed in the 20th century. She started publishing her works anonymously in her 30's. It is in this period she published sense and sensibility and also love and prejudice. She remained the greatest English writer until her death in 1817. Jane wrote pride and prejudice to point out the importance of marrying for love and not for economic gain or social prestige despite the communal pressure to make a good match (Writer, 2018).

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Satirical Approach to Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

Jane has successfully used this book to bring out the purpose of marriage. From the title pride and prejudice, she shows her satirical approach to marriage. "A single man in possession of good fortunes must be in want of a wife" If this phrase were acknowledged globally, then Mrs. Bennet would not need to look for husbands for her daughter keenly. The women also would not have to debate over choosing spouses by preferences and marrying for financial stability. The idea of marriage is more of one's wallet than the heart is repeated throughout the story when describing Bennet, a woman who's "business of her life was to get her daughters married."

Mr. Collins says while proposing to Elizabeth that he is not doing so in response to his belief but most importantly because "it is the recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honor of calling patroness." Catherine encourages Collins to marry as part of his duty as a clergyman and to marry "a useful sort of a person able to make a small income go a good way." (Writer, 2018). For Elizabeth, love is vital in marriage; she refused to accept Darcy pursue at first because to her, he is freezing and incredibly proud prosperous and looks down on the middle- class girls (Writer, 2018). She does not love Collins and refused the future heir to the manor and the wealth.

Breaking the Mold: Jane Austen's Rejection of Conventional Marriage Expectations

Jane broke the traditional mold of feminine conformity. She published six novels in a pen name during the time that was universally believed that every girl must marry young to secure groom and financial security. She rejected one of the modest proposals and did not marry at all since marriage was not for love. Austen used her sharp and sarcastic wit to discuss different themes in her writing. She also added a touch of romance to her characters' dialogue, which ranged from poetic, emotional, witty, and sharp for the youth to find interesting.

Conclusion

Pride and prejudice is a very educative book; it points out the various reasons people marry and primarily being to secure finance, which should not be the case. Marriage should be based on love and not one's wallet. Moreover, it is right to say first impressions are a shallow impression. Initially, Mr. Darcy appeared arrogant, greedy, and obnoxious until one understands more of his personal life, history, and family that one will ship his booming relationship with Elizabeth.

Reference

Writer, S. (2018). Pride and Prejudice Read Online. Retrieved from https://www.janeausten.org/pride-and-prejudice/pride-and-prejudice-online.asp