The Evolving Ideas of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

The Evolving ideas of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

In Jane Austen’s, Pride and Prejudice, the theme of marriage and the evolving role it plays in the lives of women in the 1800th century is very distinct. Women had few choices in the direction their lives were to take. Due to a process called entailing, if the father of a family did not have a son, his property, upon his death would be given to a male relative on his side of the family, instead of his wife or daughters. For this reason, a woman’s role was to marry higher up than they, despite having any romantic feelings for the person or not, so that they would be provided for in the future. Anything the woman owned became the property of the husband, upon marriage. Jane Austen oversteps the boundaries for her time in presenting new ideas in the men and women of her novel. Through exploring the characters of Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Collins, Elizabeth, Jane, Mr. Bingley, Lydia, Mr. Wickham, Ms. Lucas and Mr. Darcy in the novel, we will see how each contributes to both the old and new ideas of marriage in the 1800’s. In order to do this we need to first understand the character of each person to be explored.

When Jane is introduced to Mr. Bingley who shows her much attention, Mrs. Bennet was sure that they would be married, despite the young girls financial and social status and is quite vocal about it to all those around her. As was standard etiquette for this time, men had to be introduced to a woman by a mutual friend. According to an online source, “If permission “to call” was granted, the visit was well-chaperoned and the couple said “goodnight” at the parlor door. Three months between the announcement of the engagement and the actual wedding was considered suitable (Family Chronicle).” Jane Austen seems to use the character of Mrs. Bennet to reflect how ones social status has an impact on the entire family. Mrs. Bennet was desperate to get her girls married because, “an unmarried female was an economic disaster to her family. Spinsterhood meant caring for elderly parents or living on charity through her extended family (Family Chronicle).”

Mrs. Bennet was considered to be an embarrassment to her daughters. They and their father just wished she would be quiet. There were many social expectations of the women during this time and Mrs. Bennet did not resemble these characteristics. One online source addresses her behavior, with regard to Eliza marrying Darcy and says, “But lack of money did not deter Darcy from proposing to Eliza. It was primarily the low behavior of her family...”. (Mother’s Service Society, 2) Not only was money important but ones family played into the role of marriage as well. Your family history connected your husband upon marriage and this too was to be considered in a marriage proposal.

Because of the entailment in the Bennet family, we see another example Jane Austen uses in order to display the role of marriage.

Due to entailment, Mr. Bennet’s nephew, Mr. Collin’s was to receive his house upon his death. Mr. Collin’s, desperate to marry, sees Eliza not only as a good match for himself but also as a way for the house to stay within the family. He proposes to Eliza. However, contrary to tradition, she refuses him. Austen is paving the way for the future at this point in the story.

In the 1800’s, women were expected to say yes whether they loved the man or not, if it meant taking care of themselves and their family. When she refuses, Mr. Collins says to her, “and you should take it into farther consideration that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications.” (Austin, 106) Women were not expected to be “headstrong”, reflected in this passage by Mrs. Bennet, spoken by Mr. Collins in a conversation regarding Elizabeth, “pardon me for interrupting you, Madam, but if she is really headstrong and foolish, I know not whether she would altogether be a very desirable wife to a man in my situation.”