How Does Social Class Affect Marriage

During the eighteenth century social class controlled the way people went through lives, such as affecting whom people married. Throughout the books Persuasion and Wuthering Heights the characters express how social class affects their lives and the outcome of their lives. During these two books social class and marriage are extremely important to the story line, both books do not let the thought of social class overcome love, although the way they both get to that point is different. During Wuthering Heights and Persuasion social class and marriage affect the story and the characters. During Persuasion Sir Walter Elliot, the father of the main character Anne Elliot, was an example of someone who was affected greatly by social class. He lived his life based on what others thought of him and what he thought of others; and because Sir Walter’s wife, Elizabeth, had passed away he was the role model for his three daughters affecting their opinion on life and what to focus on in life. Sir Walter said, “First, as being the means of bringing persons of obscure birth into undue distinction, and raising men to honours which their fathers and grandfathers never dreamt of; and secondly, as it cuts up a mans youth and vigour most horribly; a sailor grows old sooner than any other man”(13; ch. 3). …show more content…
In Persuasion and Wuthering Heights the couples from the second generation followed their hearts instead of the thoughts of society. For both books it took an entire generation before defying the thoughts of society on social class and marriage. In Persuasion Sir Walter and Elizabeth was the first generation that did not go against what society wanted. Their marriage came from trying to raise social class and not true love. Their love was more of an acceptance of each other, while focusing their true love on other things in life to create their