Pride and Prejudice is a classic romance novel written by Jane Austen. It takes place in the 19 century in England. This time period was all about where families ranked socially and how well their children married. Marrying well was key to their social standing, because marriage was a way to gain wealth and also gain connections. However for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy this is difficult, because while Mr. Darcy is quite rich, Elizabeth is not. Marriage is a pivotal move in a man’s life and it greatly affects his social status in the future.
Mr. Wickham is a man that desires to climb the social ladders. He knows that the key to a high social status is money, and he has made it his mission to receive this money. Initially he tries to achieve …show more content…
Darcy is extremely aware of his social standing and he is proud of it. He will do anything to protect his image and maintain his pride. At the ball in the beginning of the novel Mr. Darcy makes it clear that none of the women are up to his standards, including Elizabeth Bennet. “She is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me;” (7) Others observe that he perceives himself as a superior and does not associate with anyone he perceives to be lower than him. Perhaps he is trying maintain his social superiority amongst a crowd. Mr. Darcy intends to marry someone that he and his family will benefit from. A proper bride for him should come from a good social class with good connections, and she should be able to add greatly to his fortune. He states in a letter to Elizabeth that her family does not have acceptable connections, which makes the possibility of a marriage between them slim. His pride does indeed prevent him from truly enjoying Elizabeth’s presence for quite some time. When he finally does realize that marriage is more than connections he learns to set aside his pride and his “duty” to his family. Although by marrying Elizabeth he gains no connections or money, and he is at risk of damaging his reputation, he is willing to risk it for …show more content…
The social differences between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy greatly affect their ability to get married. A choice had to be made between a marriage with good connections and marriage that would please Mr. Darcy family, or a marriage that would be emotionally beneficial. Marriage and social statuses are directly related to each other, and are clearly expressed in this
Mr. Wickham is a man that desires to climb the social ladders. He knows that the key to a high social status is money, and he has made it his mission to receive this money. Initially he tries to achieve …show more content…
Darcy is extremely aware of his social standing and he is proud of it. He will do anything to protect his image and maintain his pride. At the ball in the beginning of the novel Mr. Darcy makes it clear that none of the women are up to his standards, including Elizabeth Bennet. “She is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me;” (7) Others observe that he perceives himself as a superior and does not associate with anyone he perceives to be lower than him. Perhaps he is trying maintain his social superiority amongst a crowd. Mr. Darcy intends to marry someone that he and his family will benefit from. A proper bride for him should come from a good social class with good connections, and she should be able to add greatly to his fortune. He states in a letter to Elizabeth that her family does not have acceptable connections, which makes the possibility of a marriage between them slim. His pride does indeed prevent him from truly enjoying Elizabeth’s presence for quite some time. When he finally does realize that marriage is more than connections he learns to set aside his pride and his “duty” to his family. Although by marrying Elizabeth he gains no connections or money, and he is at risk of damaging his reputation, he is willing to risk it for …show more content…
The social differences between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy greatly affect their ability to get married. A choice had to be made between a marriage with good connections and marriage that would please Mr. Darcy family, or a marriage that would be emotionally beneficial. Marriage and social statuses are directly related to each other, and are clearly expressed in this