外语学院英美文学（一）期末论文
A study of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice
《傲慢与偏见》中的婚姻分析
学 院（系）： 外语学院--外国语学院 专 业： 英语 学 生 姓 名： 李清波 ________
《傲慢与偏见》中的婚姻分析
CONTENTS
1 Background of Pride and Prejudice...........................................2
1.1 Social background of the novel....................................................................2
1.2 The author’s original opinions on this novel………………………………..............2
2 The five different marriages…………………………………………………………….....2 2.1 Marriage of Mr Bennet and Mrs Bennet...................................................................2
2.2 Marriage of Bingley and Jane…................................................................................3
2.3 Marriage of Lydia and Wickham...............................................................................3 2.4 Marriage of Collins and Charlotte………………………………………………….3 2.5 Marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth…………………………………………………...4 3 Analysis and Implications of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice………………………….4 3.1 Analysis of five different marriages..............................................................................4 3.2 Personal Implications................................................................................................5 3.3 Conclusion about the whole article...................................................................6
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《傲慢与偏见》中的婚姻分析
The author describes different kind of marriage in this novel to reflect various attitudes towards love and social morals. It brings with a unique artistic taste to readers.
1 Background of Pride and Prejudice
1.1 Social background of the novel
At the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, English literature was filled with sentimental fiction. Dissatisfied with such an attitude, Jane Austen thought what prevented true love was from the inside factor, from the hero and heroine. Therefore, in Pride and Prejudice, by the true love between Darcy and Elizabeth, she expressed her admiration toward the love established on understanding and sincerity. Besides, she reflected on understanding and sincerity. Besides, she reflected the countryside people’s conservative life attitude and English women’s desire for freedom of marriage. Until the 18th century, western Europeans began to show the beauty of nature in their poems. 1.2 The author’s original opinions on this novel
As we know, the original title of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice was “First Impressions”. Austen did so because she believed that with the carefulness she took in crafting these characters, she created the while plot based on the first impressions of these characters. She revised it so many times, she found the first title did not suit the book as much as “Pride and Prejudice”. So she changed the first title. The author use irony and humorous language to portray people’s character. It represents an advanced thinking of feminine consciousness.
2 The five different marriages
2.1 Marriage of Mr Bennet and Mrs Bennet
Marriage of Mr Bennet and Mrs Bennet is miserable. He is just captured by the beautiful appearance of Mrs Bennet. He knows that his wife is uneducated, ignorant and stubborn until they marry. Mr Bennet often teases his wife and their ideas are quite different on almost everything. Mrs Bennet always tries to flatter wealthy bachelors so that her daughters can
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《傲慢与偏见》中的婚姻分析
marry them. Mr Bennet is lazy and tried to deal with trivial things like that in their house. So he frequently shelters himself into his study to read books. Their marriage is not so wonderful. 2.2 Marriage of Bingley and Jane
Bingley is popular with almost everybody in everywhere. He has a pleasant countenance and easy unaffected manners. It is easy to find that he is agreeable both in appearance and character. Jane is poor and had some uncomfortable relatives. Jane’s status doesn’t match him. More importantly, she can’t bring them any benefits. Then Bingley’s sister tires their best to prevent Bingley and Jane’s connection. After Bingley’s departure, Jane suffers great pain. She pretends to be all right and says nothing about her sadness. But in fact, her weak character has been exposed. But anyhow, they get over these obstacles finally. Mr Bingley and Jane are attracted by each other as they first meet. Mr Bingley is a gentleman and Jane is beautiful and sweet-tempered. But the different background almost makes them apart. Later, they have the courage to show them to both. They can hold hands of each other and they will be happy in their entire life.
2.3 Marriage of Lydia and Wickham
The relationship between Lydia and Wickham is blind and fleshly. As the youngest daughter of the Bennets, Lydia is not only beautiful but also slim. She is deeply loved by her mother and joins into society at an early age. What’s more, Lydia behaves random, especially to those young army officers. When they secretly run away, Lydia considers Wickham as an angel. After they get married, Wickham’s love soon cools down. Lydia just worships Wickham, but Wickham doesn’t love her at all. He agrees to marry Lydia because Darcy promises him to repay all the debts for him. It is blind intense emotion between them. Lydia is reckless and unintelligent while Wickham is aspirant and shallow. Their marriage is destined to be failed. Their love is mercenary and ridiculous. 2.4 Marriage of Collins and Charlotte
Charlotte is Elizabeth Bennet Darcy’s best friend in Pride and Prejudice. She is 27 years old and the daughter of Sir William Lucas and lives at Lucas Lodge. Although plain, she is a very amusing young woman. She seemed to be the one with the most sense in her family. Charlotte did not marry for a long time, so many thought she would die on an old maid. When Elizabeth
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《傲慢与偏见》中的婚姻分析
rejected her cousin, William Collins, Charlotte saw this as her chance to marry and within a few days, Mr Collins proposed to her. She then became Mrs Collins and went to live in the house which Lady Catherine gave Mr Collins. Her marriage is for financial security. Collins and Charlotte is based on considering and weighing the economic interests. Collins is foolish and has no any charm. Being escaped from poverty, Charlotte is eager to marry him. Although she appears to be happy after marriage, she isn’t pleased in fact. 2.5 Marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth
The love between Darcy and Elizabeth is true, pure-hearted and permanent. At first, the tensions caused by the lovers’ own personal qualities make them keep distance. Darcy is so proud that he expresses his love to her in an arrogant way and criticizes Elizabeth’s poor family and relatives directly. Elizabeth’s prejudice makes her misjudge Darcy as a malevolent person on the basis of a poor first impression. So she refuses Darcy’s love and says that she will never marry such a proud man like him. Darcy is so surprised to hear that. But he doesn’t accuse or hate her. Instead, he changes his proud and impolite attitudes towards people in order to let Elizabeth forgive him. Elizabeth realizes she is wrong to misunderstand Darcy because of her prejudice, she feels guilt and begins to be attracted by Darcy’s brilliant, knowledge and sensible character. Although countless smaller obstacles to the realization of the love between them, they also get together and live blissfully.
3 Analysis and Implications of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice
3.1 Analysis of five different marriages
Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice addresses two major conflicting themes: love and class status. The only hope of improving one’s social and economic standing was through marriage. Throughout the novel, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth’s love for one another is challenged by the social hierarchy in England at that time. The Bingley and the Darcy are from wealthy upper class families, viewing those of lower social status as being far inferior. The author is also concerned with pointing out the inequality that governs the relationships between men and women and how it affects women’s choices and options regarding marriage. Austen portrays a world in which choices for individuals are very limited, based on a family’s social rank and connections. To be born a woman into such a world means having even less choice about
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《傲慢与偏见》中的婚姻分析
whom to marry or how to determine the shape of one’s life. The way that society controls and weakens women helps to explain why such marriages must always involve practical, financial considerations. As members of the upper class, the Bennet sisters are not expected to work or make a career for themselves. Yet as women they are not allowed to inherit anything. As a result, marriage is basically their only option for attaining wealth and social standing. Pride is a constant presence in the characters’ attitudes and treatment of each other, coloring their judgments and leading them to make rash mistakes. Pride blinds Elizabeth and Darcy to their true feelings about each other. Darcy’s pride about his social rank makes him look down on anyone not in his immediate circle. Elizabeth, on the other hand, takes so much pride in her ability to judge others that she refuses to revise her opinion even in the face of clearly contradictory evidence. This is why she despises the good-hearted Darcy for so long, but initially admires the lying Wickham.
Prejudice refers to the tendency of the characters to judge one another based on preconceptions, rather than on whom they really are and what they actually do. Prejudice in the novel is presented as a stage in a person’s moral development, something that can be overcome through reason and compassion. Though Pride and Prejudice is a social comedy, it offers a powerful illustration of the damaging effects to people and to society that prejudice can inflict.
3.2 Personal Implications
Elizabeth is alert, optimistic and passionate. At the same time, she has shortcoming, she always has prejudice to Darcy. Bur she does not deny her own faults and she blames herself for prejudice. She has confidence and courage to go after her happiness and refuse what she dislike, which is the most valuable character of her. She is capable to deal with things and has her own ideas. She doesn’t give in density, lordliness and intimidation. It’s the reason why she succeeds to marry Darcy no matter how Lady Catherine threats her. I also like Darcy. For strangers, he may be too proud to hobnob with. Actually, when you are familiar with him, he is friendly and kind. In order to gain Elizabeth’s forgiveness, he can correct his mistakes, even his pride character. The love between them is pure, they marry on the premise of that they knows each other. They don’t be defeated by the difficulties in their life. So their love is precious.
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《傲慢与偏见》中的婚姻分析
Eyes express strength of character. Darcy is attracted by Elizabeth’s beautiful eyes when they first meet. In some ways, we can see a person’s heart through his or her eyes. It’s a major element when we choose a lover. What attracts is not necessarily a pretty face. Shallow persons fall for a face. Strong characters are attracted by character not by beauty. If Elizabeth is good-tempered and straight woman like her sister Jane, Darcy may do not like her. It is her stubborn temper that makes Darcy begins to love her. Besides, understanding is also an important factor for two person’s marriage. Just like one sentence I like: Men love from overlooking while women love from looking up. If love is a mountain, then if men go up, more women they will see while women will see fewer men. The standard of choosing love between men and women is different. Nevertheless, we must base on love of we want to be happy in a marriage.
We come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly. Nobody is perfect in all aspects, but we will change our mistakes in order to get a good impression from whom we love. We would like to change for her or him, which is the charm of love. Love is an ideal thing, but marriage is a real thing. Marriage is an institution in which a man loses his bachelor’s degree and the woman gets her master’s. We don’t love qualities, we love persons; sometimes by reason of their defects as well as their qualities. 3.3 Conclusion about the whole article
The novel reflects the strict nature of life for the middle and upper classes in Regency England. Through the love of Darcy and Elizabeth, Bingley and Jane, Austen shows the power of love and happiness to overcome class boundaries and prejudices. Thereby, it implies that such prejudices are hollow, unfeeling and unproductive. It also shows that environment and upbringing on the developing of young people’s character and morality is indispensable. Social standing and wealth are not necessary advantages in the world. It’s sure that education in family is also important for a person. Mr and Mrs Bennet as parents are blamed for Lydia’s lack of moral judgment. On the other hand, Darcy has been taught to be principled, but he is proud and overbearing. According to the analysis, I have concluded these sentences: Happiness is not about being immortal nor having food or rights in one’s hand. It’s about having each tiny wish come true, or having something to eat when you are hungry or having someone’s love when you need to be loved.
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《傲慢与偏见》中的婚姻分析
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