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1. Explain all the different kinds of marriages that are seen in the novel.
Which marriage does Austen seem to consider the most
effective and why?
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."
Charlotte Lucas Mr Collins
Charlotte Lucas is 27 years old and the eldest child of the Lucases. She is a very good friend of Elizabeth Bennet.
Mr Collins is a distant cousin to the Bennets and a clergyman, who has recently been made vicar of a parish on the estate of Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Kent.
Collins will inherit the Bennet's estate after Mr Bennet's death and so at first he comes to visit his relatives and marry one of their daughters. So, he wants to take Elizabeth as his wife, but she refuses his proposal.
Then Charlotte Lucas, first introduced to him at the Netherfield Ball, keps his company and engages him to herself in order to secure her best friend from any return of his addresses. But the next day Mr Collins proposes to Charlotte and she accepts for she is not young, rich or beautiful and with younger brothers and sisters it is her best chance of securing a reasonable standard of living.
So, it becomes clear that this marriage is totally based on economics, as Charlotte wants financial security for her life.
She is loyal to him but she ignores his silliness, although she suffers in tormenting silence, and tries to keep him out of the way: "When Mr Collins said anything of which his wife might reasonably be ashamed, which certainly was not unseldom, she (Elizabeth) involuntarily turned her eye on Charlotte. Once or twice she could discern a faint blush; but in general Charlotte wisely did not hear." (Ch.28, p. 123).
Lydia Bennet Mr Wickham
Lydia Bennet is the youngest of the Bennet sisters and she is devoted to a life of dancing, fashions, gossip and flirting. She does not think of the circumstances of her marriage or her husband's personality and their future.
The Bennet family and the Malatia Regiment, to which Mr Wickham belongs meet at a dance at the beginning. Wickham's first attention is directed towards Elizabeth, but no more when another lady, Miss King, inherits a fortune.
As his regiment goes to Brighten Lydia Bennet wants to go there and visit them, but her father does not allow her. Because of that Lydia's friend, Mrs Forester, wife of the Colonel of the regiment, invites her to accompany her.
When Wickham and Lydia meet, he invites her to run away with him because of his debts and covers the flight with the story of an elopement. But Lydia's relatives try to find them and finally Mr Darcy meets them in London. He bribes Wickham to marry Miss Bennet and takes care of the financial arrangements.
This marriage is based on appearances, good looks and youthful vivacity. As these attractions fade away the marriage gradually disintegrates. "His affection for her soon sunk into indifference; hers lasted a little longer" (ch. 61, p. 298) and "Lydia was occasionally a visitor there," (at the Darcy's house) "when her husband was gone to enjoy himself in London or Bath".
One can see that a hasty marriage based on superficial qualities quickly cools and leads to unhappiness.
Mr Bennet Mrs Bennet
Mr and Mrs Bennet are the parents of five daughters in the novel. They have been married for 23 years (p.7) but on the first page it becomes clear that they are not a happy couple.
Their marriage is similar to Lydia's and Mr Wickham's, which is proofed as Mr Bennet says that he is his favourite son-in-law and as Mrs Bennet favours Her youngest daughter and comments on how she was once as energetic as Lydia.
Years ago Mr Bennet found his future wife sexually attractive without realizing that she was an unintelligent woman with low connections and little money. She stood beneath him socially and was no good match in character and social background. Feeling no more attraction to his wife and being tired of her behaviour, he isolates himself from the family in his library. He often teases Mrs Bennet whose only aim is it to get her daughters married, Mrs Bennet: "Lizzy declares she will not have Mr Collins, and Mr Collins begins to say that he will not have Lizzy." Mr Bennet: "And what am I to do on the occasion? - It seems an hopeless business." (ch. 20, p. 89) and "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do NOT marry Mr Collins, and I will never see you again if you DO." (ch. 20, p. 90). When Mr Bennet realizes his lack of attention to his family who has developed in a certain way, it is too late to save his daughters and his wife.
Jane Bennet Charles Bingley
Jane Bennet is the eldest of the Bennet sisters and she is beautiful, good-tempered, amiable, selfless and so universally well liked. She always sees the good in other people and she looks for sensibility, liveliness and good humour.
Charles Bingley has two sisters and is of pleasant countenance, he is easygoing and often influenced by his best friend Darcy.
At the beginning he is described as a young man from the north with a large fortune who was going to rent Netherfield Park. He then goes to Meryton Assembly in order to meet people of town. There he dances twice with Jane Bennet, whom he likes very much. After Darcy's opinion Jane does not show much affection and so he thinks that she is indifferent and keeps his friend away from her. He goes on a business trip to London.
Elizabeth who tells him that her sister really likes his best friend later changes Darcy's opinion. When Darcy and Bingley then come back to Netherfield, the latter and Jane are both still interested in each other and finally they marry.
They live at Netherfield for only one year and then they move to an estate in Derbyshire near Pemberley to get away from Mrs Bennet and other relations.
Both are too good-hearted to act strongly against external force that may attempt to separate them (Darcy). Furthermore as they are too kind, nice and optimistic, others may easily take advantage of them (Lydia later often asks for money).
But all in all this is a successful marriage, which is based on love and rational respect.
Elizabeth Bennet Fitzwilliam Darcy
Elizabeth Bennet is the second oldest of five sisters and she is lively, quick-witted, sharp-tongued and intelligent.
When Elizabeth and Darcy first meet at the Meryton Assembly they do not attract each other. Darcy even offends her, "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt ME" (p.11), and leaves her with many prejudices and "no very cordial feelings towards him" (p.12). There at the ball, the people in town did not like Darcy: "He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again." (p.11).
Darcy is first attracted towards her and he enjoys talking, when she stays at Netherfield with her sick sister. Although she is prejudiced Elizabeth likes the challenge of talking to him.
Some time later Elizabeth meets Mr Wickham, whose story about Darcy refusing to keep his father's promise after his death affects her opinion on Darcy in a negative way.
They meet again in Kent, as Elizabeth visits the Collins' and Darcy and his brother Colonel Fitzwilliam visit their aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh. There, Darcy discovers similarities: "We neither of us perform to strangers." (ch. 31, p. 137).
But then Elizabeth gets to know from his brother that he was responsible for Bingley leaving and going to London and not marrying Jane. Accidentally, the same day Darcy proposes to Jane and thinks she would accept because it would be a degradation for her, "His sense of her inferiority - of its being a degradation" (ch. 34, p. 148). But she refuses his proposal for several reasons: he insulted her by saying her family was inferior, he was responsible for the unhappiness of Jane and he behaved very badly towards Wickham.
The next morning he gives her a letter in which he explains the reasons for his behaviour and tells the real story about Wickham. At that point Elizabeth realizes that he says the truth and his attitude towards him changes.
When she some time later she goes to Derbyshire with her uncle and her aunt, Mr and Mrs Gardiner, she is impressed by Darcy's house and suddenly she meets him there. He is very polite to her and she acknowledges that she no longer hates him.
During her stay she hears about Lydia's elopement and is very upset. Coincidentally Darcy arrives and is very concerned about her and behaves protective. But Ms Bennet immediately returns home to support her family.
Some time later Lydia is married and comes home to Longbourn before going to Newcastle. She tells Elizabeth that Mr Darcy was present at her wedding, and from her aunt she gets to know that he was the one to find Lydia and Wickham and that he bribed the latter to marry her and took care of the financial arrangements.
For that Elizabeth is very grateful and she respects him. She becomes aware of the fact that she loves him but she does not think he proposes again for he would not want Wickham for a brother-in-law.
When Darcy next time comes to Netherfield together with his best friend Bingley he is polite towards Elizabeth but also quiet and distant. And as he returns to London very soon, she does not have any hope anymore.
Shortly after that, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Darcy's aunt, arrives in Longbourn after having heard of her nephew and Elizabeth's engagement and now she wants to stop it. She says that Ms Bennet is of inferior birth, that she has low connections and is not good enough for him. Also, she explains that he was to marry her own daughter. An argument takes place as Elizabeth does not promise her never to enter into an engagement with Darcy (p.275). So, at the end the Lady leaves "seriously displeased" (p.276) and Elizabeth acknowledges that she indeed loves Darcy.
Soon, Darcy visits The Bennets at Longbourn and he and Elizabeth have a walk together. She now has the possibility to thank him for saving Lydia and the whole family and then he declares that he did it all for her, "But your FAMILY owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of YOU." (ch. 58, p. 282).
A second proposal follows which is different from the first one as he is less sure of himself, not proud and does not want to hurt her feelings. Obviously he has changed and Elizabeth gladly accepts his proposal.
The marriage of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy is a very happy and successful one and the author Jane Austen considers this relationship as the most effective of all. There are similarities but also differences between the two persons. They both want to be independent, have high moral standards, they are intelligent, honest and they respect each other, "By Elizabeth's instructions she" (Darcy's sister Georgiana) "began to comprehend that a woman may take liberties with her husband" (ch. 61, p. 299).
There was pride and prejudice at the beginning, but a series of events made them understand one another and reconcile their feelings for each other. It is obviously absolutely necessary to use very good judgement to select a companion through life, otherwise they will lose respect for each other sooner or later.
So, all in all a happy, strong and lasting marriage must take time to build and furthermore it has to be based on mutual feeling, understanding and respect.
2. Several characters on the plot are responsible for the Elizabeth-Darcy union. Who are they and what have they done, intentionally or unintentionally, to bring the couple together?
Mrs Reynolds
Mrs Reynolds is Mr Darcy's housekeeper, who shows Elizabeth and his uncle and her aunt, Mr and Mrs Gardiner, around the house.
When Mrs Reynolds talks of her master Ms Bennet listens with increasing astonishment to her: "I have never had a cross word from him in my life, and I have known him ever since he was four years old.If I were to go through the world, I could not meet with a better. But I have always observed, that they who are good-natured when children, are good-natured when they grow up; and he was always the sweetest-tempered, most generous-hearted boy in the world. . He is the best landlord, and the best master that ever lived . Some people call him proud; but I am sure I never saw anything of it." (p. 190/191).
At that time this description of Mr Darcy is absolutely contrary to Elizabeth's ideas. While listening she wonders, doubts, but still wants hear more.
But she comes to believe these statements: "What praise is more valuable than the praise of an intelligent servant?" (p. 192). She is convinced and now she thinks "of his regard with a deeper sentiment of gratitude than it had ever raised before" (p.192).
Mr Collins
The Bennet family receives a letter directed towards Mr Bennet, who reads it to Elizabeth.
"Your daughter Elizabeth, it is presumed, will not longer bear the name of Bennet, after her eldest sister has resigned it, and the chosen partner of her fate may be reasonable looked up to as one of the most illustrious personages in this land. This young gentleman is blessed, in a peculiar way, with everything the heart of a mortal can most desire, -splendid property, noble kindred, and extensive patronage. Yet, in spite of all these temptations, let me warn my cousin Elizabeth, and yourself, of what evils you may incur by a precipitate closure with this gentleman's proposals, which, of course, you will be inclined to take immediate advantage of.
My motive for cautioning you is as follows: we have reason to imagine that his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, does not look on the match with a friendly eye. After mentioning the likelihood of this marriage to her ladyship last night, she immediately, with her usual condescension, expressed what she felt on the occasion; when it became apparent, that on the score of some family objections on the part of my cousin, she would never give consent to what she termed so disgraceful a match. I thought it my duty to give the speediest intelligence of this to my cousin, that she and her noble admirer may be aware of what they are about, and not run hastily into a marriage, which has not been properly sanctioned. " (p. 278-280)
Although Mr Collins advises Elizabeth not to accept Darcy's foreseen proposal because of Lady Catherine\\\'s disapprobation, we can see here that obviously many people in the country have heard and believe that Fitzwilliam Darcy will soon marry Elizabeth Bennet.
Also, in this letter Collins in a way praises Darcy by saying that this "gentleman is blessed with everything the heart of a mortal can most desire". His only reason for the advise of refusing the proposal is the dislike of Lady Catherine to whom he as a clergyman is absolutely loyal to. And so he tells Lizzy and his "noble admirer" that they should be aware of this and that they must have a marriage that is "properly sanctioned".
Before Elizabeth got to know about this letter she was aware of his feelings towards Darcy but she is strengthened by Collin's speech, which makes clear that there are people who praise Mr Darcy and only few, e.g. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who really disapprove the match.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh
Although it was not at all Lady Catherine de Bourgh's aim, she is to a certain extent responsible for the Elizabeth-Darcy union.
Actually she came to Longbourn in order to persuade Elizabeth to not marry his nephew, after she had heard from Mr Collins that the match would be most likely. "Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would, in all likelihood, be soon afterwards united to my nephew - my own nephew - Mr Darcy. Though I KNOW it must be a scandalous falsehood" (p. 272).
This resolute and impolite "attack" results in argument between the ladies in which Elizabeth succeeds in staying calm and through this seems superior. We can see this when Lady Catherine tells her that Mr Darcy was engaged to her daughter, Elizabeth responds: "and if I am the choice, why may I not accept him?" (p. 273).
During the argument and the more the Lady insults her the stronger Elizabeth becomes and in defiance of her she would never call the marriage unlikely.
Lady Catherine: "And will you promise me never to enter into such an engagement?"
Elizabeth: "I will make no promise of the kind." (p. 275)
By saying this Elizabeth becomes aware of her feelings. She realizes that she not only says it, but hat she means it. Now she acknowledges that she loves Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Mr and Mrs Gardiner
Elizabeth's uncle and aunt, Mr and Mrs Gardiner are the only relatives of whom she does not have to be ashamed. "The situation of your mother's family, though objectionable, was nothing in comparison of that total want of propriety so frequently, so almost uniformly betrayed by herself, by your three younger sisters, and occasionally even by your father." (From Darcy's letter to Elizabeth p. 154)
So, when the Gardiners get to know Darcy during their stay at Pemberley together with her niece they have a pleasing conversation. "Elizabeth could not but be pleased, could not but triumph. It was consoling that he should know she had some relations for whom there was no need to blush. She listened most attentively to all that passed between them, and gloried in every expression, every sentence of her uncle, which marked his intelligence, his taste, or his good manners." (p. 195)
Later the Gardiners talk to Elizabeth and they make clear that they really like Darcy. "He is perfectly well behaved, polite, and unassuming" (p. 197) mentions for example her uncle. They add that was more than civil and did not seem to be proud at all.
At that moment Elizabeth does not quite agree with them but she "felt that they had entirely mistaken his character" (p. 197).
On a later occasion Mrs Gardiner writes a letter to Elizabeth about Lydia's wedding in which she again praises Mr Darcy who arranged her wedding with the man, Wickham, he did not like at all: "His understanding and opinions all please me; he wants nothing but a little more liveliness, and that, if he marry prudently, his wife may teach him." (p. 250)
" - the man (Wickham) whom he (Darcy) always most wished to avoid, and whose very name it was a punishment to him to pronounce. He had done all this for a girl whom he could neither regard nor esteem. Her (Elizabeth's) heart did whisper that he had done it for her." (p. 250)
Now Elizabeth becomes aware of that they owe "the restoration of Lydia, her character, everything to him." (p. 251), which makes her very proud of Darcy.
After having read this letter she acknowledges that she has feelings for Darcy and she was "mixed with regret, on finding how steadfastly both she and her uncle had been persuaded that affection and confidence subsisted between Mr Darcy and herself." (p. 251)
In a letter to her aunt Elizabeth, when she is about to marry, knows that she owes her relationship to Darcy to the Gardiners, "I thank you, again and again, for not going to the Lakes", but instead to Pemberley where they met Darcy, "I am the happiest creature in the world." (p. 295)
All in all the Gardiners impressed Darcy, and both parties like each other very much. Her uncle and aunt revealed his real character and then made their niece believe it and forced her to change opinion. Finally Elizabeth is very thankful for these happenings: "With the Gardiners they were always on the most intimate terms. Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them." (p. 299)
3. Pride and Prejudice is described as social comedy. What aspects of society is Jane Austen making fun of in this novel?
Aristocracy and marriage
ā On top of the society in the book we see Lady Catherine de Bourgh. She is without vitality and has no more real influence, which becomes evident in her conversation with Elizabeth. The lady needs a person like Mr Collins in order to remain a great lady.
ā Before the 19th century, class mixture by marriage was frowned upon. So, for example, Mrs Bennet's middle class origins affect the respectability of the whole family in a negative way.
ā The Gardiners belong to the middle class. They are polished, educated and cultured Londoners who with these characteristics are able to impress the very wealthy master of Pemberley, Fitzwilliam Darcy.
ā Fitzwilliam Darcy at the beginning did not dance with anyone at a ball in order to keep his status of a wealthy aristocrat and used pride as a weapon to defend himself.
But when he is attracted to Elizabeth Darcy, daughter of an aristocrat and his middle class wife, he begins to change. He even shows no more arrogance as he himself goes to London to find Mr Wickham and Lydia Bennet and by doing this prevents a scandal.
After a series of events he does not care about classes anymore but he loves Elizabeth and likes the Gardiners very much.
► Mixture of classes, which are not that important anymore, through marriage is now possible as both Elizabeth and Jane Bennet rise by marriage each into one of the wealthiest aristocratic families in England.
Even the scoundrel Wickham is able to rise to great heights and have Mr Darcy as a brother-in-law.
Now no more social conformity counts but individuality and character values more than wealth or status.
In her novel "Pride and Prejudice", a title that declares the social conditions at the beginning of the development described, Jane Austen ironically traces this evolution from the view of the aristocracy and the lower classes through the characters of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. It shows the way of the loosening class society and the classes' coming closer to each other.
The final marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy reveals that the overcoming of the distance between them is possible and the results of it, freedom, happiness and vitality, most desirable.
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