Pride and Prejudice opens with the line: “It is a
truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good
fortune, must be in want of a wife” (1). Once a man of high wealth enters a
neighborhood, he becomes a target of all surrounding mothers as a potential husband
for their daughters. Meddling mothers in this novel include Mrs. Bennett and
Lady Catherine De Bourgh, but the younger women also take initiative in
grabbing the attention of the wealthy men. Caroline Bingley continuously tries
to grab Mr. Darcy’s attention. From the very beginning of the novel, it is
clear that money and marriage are related. There are various examples of
couples in the novel who exemplify this relationship, including Lady Catherine
and Mr. Collins. Lady Catherine married Mr. Collins for his large estate, and
because she didn’t want to be a burden to her family at the old age of 27. For
women, marriage was essential to attaining wealth and status. Marrying down,
however, had the opposite effect. Lydia’s interest in Mr. Wickham, a militia
man, was frowned upon because it would cause her to lose her reputation. There
are examples, however, of instances where love does make a difference. Mr.
Darcy and Elizabeth are an example of a relationship in which love finds a way
to be a cause of marriage. Being first published in 1813, this early novel serves
as a representation of courtship and marriage in high society.
In modern culture in the
United States, the feminist movement advocates for gender equality. This includes
issues such as equal pay, sexual harassment, maternity leave, and domestic
violence. In whatever path a woman chooses, whether it includes marriage,
parenthood, or a professional career, the woman should have the right to decide
and should be treated equally. Through our discussions in class and my
knowledge of my acquaintances, many women do desire to get married and start a
family. Additionally, many women want to have a successful career. This desire
is probably higher considering I’m on a college campus where individuals work
to get a degree for their career, but women in general want to have a fuller
career than they did centuries ago. Additionally, many women desire to make sufficient
money to contribute to their marriage, instead of just marrying a man who has a
lot of money. Also in contrast with the high society of Pride and Prejudice, parents
are extremely less involved in the courtship process. Women often find their
mates on their own, and through many factors other than wealth.
The opening to "Pride and Prejudice" is highly satirical and the entire book is a commentary on her society's preoccupation with marriage. Marriage in Jane Austen's time wasn't "essential to attaining wealth and status," it was necessary to support oneself and not be a drain on one's family, especially in the case of the Bennet girls who were basically penniless with their father's estate entailed away from the female line. Though it is true that Jane and Elizabeth gained wealth and status through marriage, their tales are unusual ones. Additionally, Lydia's interest in Mr. Wickham was not looked down upon because he was in the militia, it was looked down upon because he was an infamous scoundrel who preyed upon young women and had accumulated a vast debt through gambling. While it is true that women in this century generally have more choice about their futures and careers, this is still not entirely true on a global scale. Also, Austen's time was not devoid of women who had successful careers. Austen herself was never married and was able to have a meaningful career if not able to wholly support herself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment that “From the very beginning of the novel, it is clear that money and marriage are related,” although I think it is worth noting that the marriages focusing on money are ones that do not result in long term happiness. Wickham, for example, is stated on several occasions to be looking for a wife with money; clearly Lydia is not such a wife, but the book suggests the only reason Wickham consented to marry Lydia is due to the fact that Darcy agreed to pay off his debts. Later in their marriage, “either Jane or [Elizabeth] were sure of being applied to for some little assistance towards discharging their bills” (290; I have a different copy than everyone else, so the page number is likely different). The narration goes on to describe how their “affection for [each other] soon sunk into indifference,” clearly indicating that a monetary preoccupation is not the ideal foundation for marriage. Your early comment that “the younger women also take initiative in grabbing the attention of the wealthy men” is accurate in that it is Austen’s way to show money should not be the basis upon which marriages are entered into; she spends a considerable amount of ink detailing Elizabeth and Jane’s respective happinesses, and it is their mother — who arguably represents the entirety of society at the time — who puts an emphasis upon the wealth into which they are marrying. In this way this book is comparable to Little Women, although less in-your-face about its morals.
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