Marriage: The Perfect Ending to Pride and Prejudice

Marriage: The Perfect Ending to Pride and Prejudice

An individual often finds himself in a conflict with the rules of society. Occasionally, rebelling is the path to happiness. However, usually, the real path to happiness is through compromise. This is the case in the early nineteenth century England setting of Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. In the novel, Miss Elizabeth Bennet is a lively, independent woman, whose family's financial situation and whose strong mindedness suggest that she may never marry. Mr. Darcy, is a rigid and proper man, who falls in love with Elizabeth, despite their differences. By the end of the novel, Elizabeth and Darcy learn to compromise, and, in doing so, become truly happy. In marrying, they not only fulfill themselves as individual, but also affirm the principle values of society. As in many of her novels, this marriage at the end of the novel shows us Jane Austen's ideal view of marriage as a social institution.

Jane Austen, Watercolour and pencil portrait by he...

English: Back View of Jane Austen, Watercolor

English: Français : Une gravure de 1833 illustran...

The novel Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen gives us the reader a very good idea of how she views marriage, as well as society. The theme of marriage is set in the very opening sentence of Pride and Prejudice; 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife' (Austen, 1) As Norman Sherry points out, this is Austen's way of implying that 'a single man in possession of a good fortune' is automatically destined to be the object of desire for all unmarried women. The statement opens the subject of the romantic novel; courtship and marriage. The sentence also introduces the issue of what the reasons for marrying are. She implies here that many young women marry for money. The question the reader must ask...