Male and Female Attitudes towards Marriage
Pride and Prejudice is a novel written by Jane Austen，an English writer, who first gave the novel its modern characters through the treatment of everyday life.“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in poeion of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighborhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.” The novel directly begins with the theme: Marriage and Money.Jane Austen imposed her view of marriage on her describing of relationship among different males and females.According to the novel, males and females in some degree have diffident values towards marriage.Through some main characters, we can have a comparison.
First, we throw our eyes to the male characters.Take George Wickham for example, he is an old acquaintance of Darcy from childhood, and an officer in the militia unit stationed near Merton.Superficially charming, he rapidly forms a friendship with Elizabeth Benet, prompting remarks upon his suitability as a potential husband.He spreads numerous tales about the wrongs Darcy has done to him, coloring the popular perception of the other man in local society.It is eventually revealed that these tales are distortions, and that Darcy was the wronged man in their acquaintance.He is a man with bad quality, but his appearance is deceptive, he has a witty tongue and elegant behavior, who is a deadly attraction to women like Lydia.Once he was addicted to gambling and escape from Breton because of a large amount of debts.Lydia has neither high status nor money, but he is willing to have an accompanier on his escaping way.The book never mentioned why Wickham choose Lydia as his wife.The primary reason, in my eyes, is money.Because he fell in love with Mi King and Elizabeth before not because of love but money.At that time, Wickham can not have a large heritage because of his lower social status, so he is greedier for money.At last, Mr.Darcy helped him to pay for his debts and provided him with another 1000 pounds and a official position, which immediately led to his marriage.So we can easily see, in spite of paion, money played an important role in their marriage.Besides, Mr.Collins aged twenty-five, is Mr.Benet’s clergyman cousin and, as Mr.Benet has no son, heir to his estate.Austen described him as \"not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little aisted by education or society.” He is a clumsy and conceit man and good at flattering, so he can easily appreciated
by Mrs.Catherine and gets a position in church.Mr.Collins chose Lady Lucas obviously attributed to love.He expreed his reasons about marriage when he asked for Elizabeth’s hands:” First, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish.Secondly, that I can convinced it will add every greatly to my happine; and thirdly which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honor of calling patrone.” So Mr.Collins is a person who sacrifices his marriage to reality and reputation.
In spite of Mr.Bingley and Mr.Darcy’s values, I think, Wickham and Mr.Collins’s attitudes toward marriage should be the majority of values at that time.Males pursue high status and money rather than love.So how could they be happy? Their marriages are doomed to tragedies.
Now we will throw our eyes back to females.Of course, Elizabeth Benet is our first consideration.Elizabeth Bennet is the main character and protagonist.The reader sees the unfolding plot and the other characters mostly from her viewpoint.The second of the Benet daughters at twenty years old, she is intelligent, lively, attractive, and witty, but with a tendency to judge on first impreions and perhaps to be a little selective of the evidence upon which she bases her judgments.Elizabeth believed that marriage must be based on love, which is one of the reasons why she misunderstood Mr.Darcy before.She is such a girl with great wit, courage and self-conscience so that she is not polluted by society and keeps her own opinions.And at last grasped Mr.Darcy’s heart tightly and live a happy life.In contrast to Elizabeth, her intimate friend Charlotte Lucas doesn’t think highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object.She believes that it is the only honorable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happine, must be their pleasantest preservative from want.So although Mr.Collins to be sure was neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary.But still, he would be her husband.This is a miserable marriage which put interest ahead of everything.
It seems a little bit difference between males and females’ attitudes towards marriage.Males completely regard money and status beyond everything while women conceal something in some degree but still be obseed by reality.Elizabeth is an exception.Jane Austen expreed
marriage and love vividly among gentlemen and ladies around her by her specific female foresight.She criticized the civil marriages through Elizabeth’s tongue.It was obviously that the author not approved that money should be totally divided with love, but not equal to love.It was true that money played an important role in marriage, but it not means one can gain love and marriage through his big fortune.The author made full of other ladies’ relationships to expre the ideal marriage of Elizabeth.
I have the same opinion with Jane Austen on marriage and love.According to the novel, the marriage based on money and reputation is not stable at all and people can not feel happy.Whether you admit or not, marriage and love do sometimes aociate with property and status, in my eyes, it not completely lies on property and status.Marriage should be based on mutual love and respect.
