Marriage As A Popular Theme - Essay Example

Outline I. Marriage As A Popular Theme II. The Fear Of Label “Old Maid” III. Marriage As An Economic Shelter IV. Not Surprisingly, Many Marriages Were Unsuccessful V. Still Some Were Lucky VI. Conclusion Marriage As A Popular Theme The novel, Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen, centers on a society belonging to historical times that narrowly defines the roles and abilities of women. The novel revolves around the women of a particular social class, the Bennett Family, who are not poor, rather above the working class, but they are not extremely rich either. The story explores the role of young women and the importance of marriage in their lives. It was mandatory for them to get married. Getting the status of “old maid” was not a respectable proposition. The society of the nineteenth century (when the novel was written) was quite different from that of today. People, especially the women, had fewer occupations. An unmarried woman was expected to live with her parents to avoid social embarrassment. Most of the occupations were male-dominated. The only escape seemed to be marriage. The role of women in Pride and Prejudice was to chase and present themselves as an interesting proposal to a prospective husband as only marriage could give them financial security, love, and companionship, and at the same time, save them from horrors of being living alone and termed as “old maid,” though there were hit-and-miss associated with it. (“Jane Austen and the Female Condition: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century England”) The Fear of Label “Old Maid” During the time period of this novel, society did not look with respect upon a woman living single throughout her life. A woman who could not find a husband was often referred to as “old maid” and lived whole life with her parents. It is understandable why Mrs. Bennet does not want this to happen to any of her five daughters. Her main goal in life is to get her five daughters married. Clearly, becoming an "old maid" was not considered a desirable fate. As a result when Charlotte Lucas at age 27 finally marries Mr. Collins, her brothers get relieved from their fear of Charlotte’s “dying as an old maid” (Austen, 176) and for similar reasons Lydia apprehended, saying, “Jane will be quite an old maid soon, I declare. She is almost three and twenty” (Austen, 209). Today, though living unmarried throughout the life is still not the first choice for most women, there are many successful women who are unmarried throughout their life and have achieved high social esteem. These may be due to the availability of more economic opportunities and support as well as a change in perception in the society regarding how they view women and the popular movement highlighting women’s rights. These were absent in the days when the novel was written. As a result, young girls in the 19th century were desperate to get married and those failing were under constant pressure. (Gilbert and Gubar) Marriage as an Economic Shelter During the time period when the novel was written, the economic environment was far different from that of today. That was not an age of information technology. Even things like electricity, radio, and typewriters were not much known or used. Firstly, there were scarcity of employment opportunities and even those that were available were kept mostly for the male section of the society. The only respectable paid job open to a gentlewoman, i.e. of the section to which the Bennet family belonged, was the job of a lady companion or of a governess. Even that was not a high paying job. For most part, a woman could not acquire money on her own without inheriting or marrying a person with good fortune. If a woman did not get married, she usually was to stay with her parents and add burden to them economically. In this context, one may recollect the words that Mrs Bennet said to Elizabeth - "If you go on refusing every offer of marriage, you will never get a husband -- and I am sure I do not know who is to maintain you when your father is dead." (Austen, 173) It would be difficult for both the girl as well as her family. Also, the parents of the bride usually had to pay dowry to their daughters. So, economic stakes turned out to be an important factor in marriage. As Colonel Fitzwilliam admits "there are not many in my rank of life who can afford to marry without some attention to money.." (Austen, 197) So instead of true love and commitment, many marriages were done on the basis of finding an economic shelter. Not Surprisingly, Many Marriages Were Unsuccessful Marriage, which is considered as a holy alliance, was done mostly by keeping in mind material aspects such as physical beauty and social and economic stability in mind. Not surprisingly, many marriages were unsuccessful. Mr. Bennet had married his wife because of her beauty and her ability to supply him with children. Eventually her appeal faded, and with it, the enjoyment of her companionship also diminished. He passed his time alone in his study where he could stay away from his wife and daughters. Besides getting her free from any stigma of “old maid,” marriage with Mr. Collins would also give Charlotte Lucas, the one-time friend of Elizabeth, large amount of money. (Thompson) As the narrator clearly stated, Charlotte accepted his proposal for the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment. In Hunsford, it was clear that Charlotte did nothing more than to maintain her home and please Lady Catherine. Again, Lydias marriage to Wickham was plainly for romance and lust. It is apparent that when Wickham showed her attention she fell in love and agreed to marry. The sad fact is that it was a one-sided love. Lydia liked Wickham lot more than he cared about her. Wickham had many outstanding debts and used the money he got as dowry from marrying her to settle them. Though marriage was seen as one means of salvation, clearly it was not so for all those married woman. Still Some Were Lucky: The marriages of the two eldest Bennet daughters, Jane and Elizabeth, were however pleasant and appear to be based on some ideal. Jane had longed for Mr. Bingley for quite sometime. Bingley was handsome and rich, kind and well liked. Both had undergone many conversations and had complimentary personalities which were required to make them successful partners. They were pleasantly matched and led a happy life together. Similarly, Elizabeth and Darcys marriage was a bright match. They had deep love and respect for each other, were equal in intellect, had physical attraction, and financial security. They are the two one can believe would be most happy in life. Though marriages based on true ideal were rare, still some were lucky. Conclusion The sheer desperation with which the issue of marriage cropped up as soon as the girl got young in Jane Austen’s work, Pride and Prejudice, is alarming. Marriage and its preoccupation with money forces modern readers to ponder. Hard questions regarding tradition, definition, and purpose of marriage are explored. The sheer materialism and greed in some of the characters may be partly due to social and economic environment at that time. With no social security, (old age pension, health insurance, etc.) it was rather foolhardy to marry without having a secured income in advance. Though Austen herself never married, concluding the novel with a successful marriage highlights that her heroine has come full circle. (Bates) References 1. Austen, Jane, Pride and Prejudice, 8 Books in 1, Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax Ltd, 2006 2. Bates, Tinu, Marriage in Pride and Prejudice, Bookstove, retrieved on October 28, 2008 from: http://www.bookstove.com/Classics/Marriage-in-Pride-and-Prejudice.254807 3. Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination New Have: Yale University Press, 1979 4. “Jane Austen and the Female Condition: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century England”, UAH, 1998, retrieved on October 28, 2008 from: http://www.uah.edu/colleges/liberal/education/S1998/jennyd.html 5. “Pride and Prejudice -- Notes on Education, Marriage, Status of Women, etc”, Pride and Prejudice, 2008 6. Thompson, Emma. The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay and Diaries: the making of the film based on the Jane Austen novel New York: Newmarket, 1995 Read More