Pride And Prejudice Marriage Theme Analysis

The novel, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen exemplifies the main theme of marriage in various forms. Austen compares the different marriages through the characters: Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Charlotte and Mr. Collins, Jane and Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth and Darcy, and finally Lydia and Mr. Wickham. She gives a specific insight to the attitudes, morals, and progression of marriage for each character throughout the book. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet began the novel as the only married couple. With five unwed daughters, Mrs. Bennet takes upon herself the task of marrying each one of her daughters in the coming years. Although Mrs. Bennet’s primary focus during the novel seems to be the love life of her daughters, her own relationship with her husband fails. …show more content…
Collins and Charlotte’s marriage came a little later in life for the two. Charlotte, running out of options at her “old age” of twenty-seven, claims to be “unromantic” and just looking for someone who will provide her a comfortable life. Charlotte’s family similar to the Bennet family, did not have large estates with lots of money. In order to live the life she desired, Charlotte knew she needed to marry someone wealthier than her upbringing. Mr. Collins provided Charlotte exactly this. Although the marriage was unromantic, both parties were satisfied with each other enough to consummate, at least in the beginning. Charlotte gained an estate and a husband that could provide for her indefinitely and Mr. Collins gained a wife that he could care for. Mr. Collins initially showed attraction towards Elizabeth, however after suffering rejection, Mr. Collins moved on to pursue Charlotte. When Elizabeth rejected Mr Collins, Mrs. Bennet was irate, she saw the potential for her family to stay in Longbourne as no longer to fruition. Charlotte and Collins together share a comfortable life, each receiving what they wanted whether or not they were in …show more content…
Bingley, share the most purest form of love and marriage that one could imagine. Although there were several obstacles in the way of their happy relationship, Jane and Mr. Bingley married for love. Jane’s family concerned the Bingley family since she was from a lower class. Caroline Bingley especially had a problem with her brother marrying someone beneath their social class. This prejudice held by the upper class in fact separated Mr. Bingley and Jane for a period time, leaving Jane to think that her chances with Mr. Bingley were over. However, as it always does, true love prevailed and the two were reunited by the end of the novel. Although the classes might be interchanged and the two did not come from the same previous status, no one could deny that Jane and Mr. Bingley love each