My Understanding on Two Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

徐婷 062323006

(咸宁学院 外国语学院 06级教育本1班)

Jane Austen is a great woman novelist in late 18th and early 19th century . In her masterpiece Pride and Prejudice she mainly describes four couples’marriages .Their attitudes towards marriage are completely different.Through the life of middle-class in the middle of 18th century ,the four couples’joys and sorrows affect me,especially Elizabeth and Darcy, Lydia and Wickham.They are more representative than the others. After reading,I realize that independence and equality are important in Love and Marriage. Here I will show my understanding on two marriage in Pride and Prejudice.

The heroin Elizabeth is intelligent, lively and humor.She has strong human dignity.She refuses the proposal of Collins who is rich but she don’t love, refuses steadily rich young noble Darcy’s proposal because Elizabeth thinks Darcy is condescend and pride, she can’t bear. When domineering Lady Catherine wants to interfere with the freedom of her marriage,she doesn’t compromise and give the impression weakness.At last Darcy’s false Pride is humbled and he helpsher family in secret.Elizabeth’s prejudice is dissolved and she receives Darcy’s proposal.They marry and life a happy life.Lidia is uncontrolled,fearless.She enjoys searching of the officers in Meryton. Wickham is one of them.She can’t resist Wickham’s sweet words and runs away with him.With Darcy’s help,they marry formally, but they live a dependent life of which always needs the help of others.On the analysis of the two couples’marriages,I find that Elizabeth and Darcy are much happier than Lydia and Wickham,because the marriage between Elizabeth and Darcy is based on independence and equality, but the marriage between Lydia and Wickham is not .Thus,we can say the love of independence and equality is the main melody in happy marriage.

From the studying of the two couples, it is not difficult to find out that the marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy is perfect because they possess independence and equality. But Lydia and Wickham doesn’t possess them .Let’s compare with the two couples from two aspects :the love of independence and equality in love and marriage.

Elizabeth possesses the quality of strong reason and keen observation. She has her own attitude towards marriage. She knows the happy marriage should be based on true love and should choose mate carefully and seriously. She ignores money and refuses Collins’proposal.Collin is a priest He thinks it will surely succeed in proposing to Elizabeth. But Elizabeth doesn’t like him and says to him,“It is impossible for me to do otherwise than refuse your proposal.”Elizabeth disagrees with her best friend Charlotte to marry Collins for only seeking for material enjoyment.She feels that“Charlotte the wife of Mr.Collins, was a most humiliating picture!—And to the pang of a friend disgracing herself and sunk in her esteem, was added the distressing conviction that it was impossible for that friend to be tolerable happy in the lot she had chosen.”Elizabeth doesn’t only take a fancy to the appearance of a man .She admires handsome Wickham first .In the process of her observing and understanding, she finds out that Wickham has only empty appearance and fawns on rich ladies,Wickham’s attention to her is over from then on.She also disagrees with Lydia to seek for moment enjoyment .After Lydia and Wickham elope, She says to Lydia, “I don’t especially like your way of getting husbands.”Elizabeth’s independence in thought is also reflected in rejecting Darcy’s proud offer.She is an independent woman and

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can’t endure Darcy’s pride and looking down upon her family.She thinks that both sides should love each other deeply.This is her belief and never shakes .

Darcy is independent in thought and personality, too. He has money and rank .He should marry a girl who has the same condition. This is what Miss Bingley and his aunt Lady Catherine think.Miss Bingley tries the best way to win Darcy,but he still dislikes her and doesn’t marry her.Lady Catherine is a noble woman, and she has a very large fortune .She deems that her daughter suitshim very much. Darcy and her daughter will unitehe two estates by marriage.But Darcy is not interested in her.He loves Elizabeth , her charmfulappearance, intelligent and character. His admiration to Elizabeth is prevented so much.When Elizabeth goes to Mr Bringley’s on foot andlooks after her sister Jane .Bringley’s sisters make fun of her and her family at the back. .Even Miss Bingley says to Darcy, “I am afraid„ that this adventure has rather lessened your admiration forher fine eyes.” But Darcy replies “Not at all,„They are brightened by the exercise,” At Pemberley when Miss Bingley notices that Darcy admires Elizabeth, she merely intends to confuse Elizabeth and make her show some feeling that may harm her in Darcy’sopinion .But it affects nothing to Darcy . She continues to criticize Elizabeth’s appearance,behavior and dress. Darcy can no longer controls himself and says. “For many months I have considered her as one of the best looking women inmy acquaintance.” His love to Elizabeth is prevented by his sense of family status.He has tormented but with the effect of Elizabeth he triumphs over himself and loves Elizabath more.

On the other hand,Lydia lacks the independence.Lydia is Elizabeth’s youngest sister.She is empty-headed and idle.She always manages to learn some news and searches the officers .She doesn’t possess the quality of independence and iseasily tricked by a deceitful man .She only needs encouragement to form an attachment to anybody.Sometimes one officer has been her favorite and sometimes another. It is the best proof that she runs away with Wickham..However Wickham doesn’tlove her really and has no intention to marry her.His enthusiasm is not stable and his thought is lack of independence. Sometimes he loves good-looking Elizabeth. Sometimes he seeks for rich Miss Marry King and lures Darcy’s sister to flight with him for revenging himself on Darcy.At last he runs away with Lydia because he wants to escape from his debts and leave Brighton with a woman companion.Lydia and Wickham aren’t independent in thought and easily drift with their own desire and tides.

While I analyze all the above mentioned, I feel all the time that Jane Austen creates the characters which give her novels universal and lasting appeal. I will never forget Elizabeth’s character and Darcy’s sincere love. In the estate society, their statuses are not equal but they can smash the bonds of tradition and can treat equally each other as an independent person. Finally they reach the bank of ideal and live happy life .I have to say that with independence and equality , people like Elizabeth and Darcy will get happiness in marriage .On the contrary, Lydia and Wickham is the creations of capitalist society . They are selfish and like seeking fame and wealth . Their marriage isn’t based on independence and equality. They rack their brains to dissolve their poor condition .They don’t work with hands but swatch their hands to two sisters,Jane and Elizabeth.They still want to persuade Darcy to make their fortune .We can imagine that their lifeisn’t very comfortable and the way of their life is ignored. I alarm the people like Lydia and Wickham without independence and equality will deserve themselves in unhappy marriage .Thus , the love of independence and equality is the most important reason to gain happy marriage .This is an advanced attitude towards marriage,which Jane Austen wants to express.This kind of marriage breaks through the bonds of traditionandbecomes the example of all the couples in the estate society even to this day . It will be eternal theme and will brighten all the couples’ way, lending them to happines.

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