Jane Austen's Views On Marriage In Pride And Prejudice

Jane Austen (1775—1817) was one of the distinguished realistic novelists in the nineteenth-century-English literature. During the forty-two years of her short life time, Austen completed six novels: Sense and sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1816), Northanger Abbey (1818) and Persuasion (1818). Her limited life experiences result in her narrow, small circle of literary creation. In her works, the dominant theme is love and marriage. Her only concern is how a marriageable woman of the gentry could find a"well"husband. As a realistic novelist, her novels actually reflect the social history, the economic realities as well as women's social status of her time. As a woman writer focusing on love and marriage, Austen describes different types of marriage and puts forward her own views on marriage in all her novels.Pride and Prejudice is a world wide popular novel published in 1813. Austen set the story in the first decade of the nineteenth century. At that time, marriage was the only way for women to gain social status and recognition. In Pride and Prejudice, five marriages depicted are all centered on money which is a leading motive for women to marry. Austen fully expresses her original views on marriage: property, social status and love are three indispensable elements in a marriage. It is wrong to marry for money, but it is unwise to marry without money; marriage is not determined by property and social status, but it is foolish not to considering them; marriage with love is ideal and happy. Austen's views on marriage emphasize love and economic condition but love plays the significant role, which is the predominant aspect at Austen's time. As a woman writer, her views on marriage, from a feminist point of view, bear progressive color. Austen objects to inequality between women and men. In Pride and Prejudice, she uses different characters to demonstrate women's intelligence and capability, and advocates the equality of the sexes in all aspects of life. Austen mercilessly criticizes the views on marriage of her time. Her views on marriage have great realistic significance to the modern society.