Jane Austen s Pride And Prejudice And A Vindication Of...

Was Marriage, based on love or lust during the 19th century? Or, was it established because of one’s wealth or status? These are questions that everyone thought, but no one dear to asked. At this time, women had a low value in society; they had no future without marriage being in the equation. For some, marriage was seen as the pinnacle of their life and even for Mothers as they anticipated the day their little girl(s) got married. Not only did women face challenges acquiring properties, but also, endeavoring to survive living alone. This resulted in marriage being their only route to a successful life and society insured this. Women became vulnerable, depending on a man the way a child would rely on his mom. However, they often aimed to†¦show more content†¦In my opinion, Mr. Collins pursues marriage because he was told to and with no intention of it being established on true love. This is shown by him wanting to marry Jane (oldest sister), to having an unsuccessful proposal with Elizabeth, and lastly, settling with Charlotte. In addition, Mrs. Bennet tries to plan a marriage between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and Lady Catherine tried to plan a marriage between her daughter and Mr. Darcy. Austen uses Mr. Bennet to set the example as to what a parent should do when their child is choosing a mate. He says, â€Å"I now give it to you, if you are resolved on having him† (Austen 254). This implies that he has no intention of telling Elizabeth who should be her significant other, but rather gives her the choice and has confidence that she would choose wisely. Charlotte and Mr. Collins are fundamentally the same as in their reasoning. She marries simply just for satisfaction and he marries her to accomplish his goal in not being single any longer. As I would like to think, Charlotte is indeed rational in her decision to marry Collins, since all she want is to secure a proper standard of living. In addition, she recognizes that the odds are against her being old and not having daddy’s money/wanting to be a burden to the family anymore. Nevertheless, Austen uses Charlotte best friend, Elizabeth, to criticize the way Charlotte view marriage and to marry without no romance involved. She also uses Elizabeth toShow MoreRelatedJane Austen’s Novel Pride and Prejudice Essay874 Words   |  4 PagesRecipe for Happiness â€Å"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of† (Austen). The bluntness of this quote fully encompasses the main theme of an advantageous marriage for the English novelist, Jane Austen. Her realism, biting irony and social commentary have gained her historical importance among scholars and critics (Southam). Austen’s major novels, including Pride and Prejudice, were composed between the years 1795-1815. During those twenty years England was at the height ofRead MoreElizabeth And Lydia And The Social Context Of Pride3806 Words   |  16 Pagesopenness of their transgressions as related to the social context of Pride, it is possible to understand why Austen favors Elizabeth as her heroine. Elizabeth asserts agency, but follows protocol (though she exploits it for her own ends). Lydia, on the other hand, openly goes against conventions and, though she ends up married to Mr. Wickham, a glimpse at her future suggests that she will not have a happy li fe. As previously stated, Austen could not be too revolutionary in her writing and needed to conformRead MoreFeminist Theory And Gender Inequality1731 Words   |  7 Pagesbeen addressed by people, such as Mary Wollstonecraft, a woman writer who advocates from women to break from the gender constructs and have more equal rights and opportunities as their male counterparts in her article A Vindication of the Rights of Women. However, feminist theory can be further broken down into three waves. Writers, such as Wollstonecraft, fit in the first wave feminism, which â€Å"highlight the inequalities between the sexes† and women having equal rights as men (Owl Purdue). The second