Pride and Predjudice - Money and Marriage :: English Literature

The novel Pride and Predjudice is based on money and marriage.Discuss.The novel reflects society at the time in which it was written, womens impotence in a patriarichal society. Men dominated all walks oflife and expected women to attend their every need. In order to securea safe futurity for themselves women expended a lot of time and energylearning skills with which to attract a man of substance. IndeedDarcys view wasA woman must have a thourough noesis of music, singing, drawing,dancing and the modern languages an extremely tall order for any one.The major themes of money and marriage are indeed married to enamorher inthe opening move lines of this novelIt is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man, inpossession of a large fortune must be in want of a wife.During this period of time moral themes such as love and respect didnot play a pivotal role in marriage. Charlotte Lucas remarks,if the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known toeachother it does not adv ance their felicity in the least and it isbetter to know as little as possible about the defects of the personwith whom you are to pass your life. In this day a nd age a verystrange notion indeed.Charlotte Lucas did not believe that she deserved to be happy in amarriage. When she married Mr. Collins they were strangers andremained so.Marriage in the early nineteenth century was an stinting sign up andin the case of the Bennet girls a means of financial security andsocial acceptability. Therefore Mrs. Bennets life revolved around herdaughters security,The business of her life was to get her daughters marriedand,A single man of large fortune what a fine thing for our girls.Mrs. Bennets own marriage was not a happy one. Mr Bennet found move backin his library. When he first married he was captivated by youth andbeauty and that appearance of good humour had married a woman whose sick understanding and illiberal mind, had very early in theirmarriage put an end to real affection.. all h is views of domestichappiness were overthrown..A womans entire social,emotional and economic future depended entirelyon how wealthy her husband would be. So time spent in pursuit of awealthy mate was a study of survival in the upper class. If youhappened to like or love that mate it was a highly beneficial bonus.Happiness in a marriage is entirely a matter of chance.It is sad that three of the marriages in the novel ended up as unhappyunions. The Bennets marriage was based on physical attraction.