Outline

Thesis sentence: Jane Austen, by describing four different marriages in Pride and Prejudice, expressed her viewpoint that one’s character often reflects his or her marriage and attitudes towards love.

The combination of vulgar Collins and mediocre Charlotte results in a despicable marriage.
Collins is a vulgar, pompous and rapacious man who is subservient to his parsoness and always arrogant before his inferiors.
His pompous and rapacious character determines that his proposal to Elizabeth is a failure.
His vulgar and servile character and his ridiculous concept of love lead to his quick marriage with Charlotte.
Charlotte is a vain and mediocre girl.
Her mediocre character and perception result in her marriage with Collins
.

Her vain character brings about her false description of her married life.
The combination of dissolute Wickhame and empty-minded Lydia results in a sex-oriented marriage.
Wickhame is a dissolute and cunning villain who is changeable in his love and crazy about money.
1. He is a thoroughgoing money-pursuer and love imposter,

which determines the transfer of his love from poor

Elizabeth to wealthy Miss. King.

2. His mean character and contemptible behavior bring about

his elopement with Lydia.

Lydia is an empty-minded and uncertain flirt who always
seeks her own fun and sexual excitement.

Her dissipation and foolishness lead to her romantic deeds
with officials in Meryton.

2. Her ignorance and dissipation lead to her elopement with

Wickhame.

C. Their marriage represents capitulation to personal claims.

The combination of pleasant Bingley and mild Jane results in a happy marriage.
Bingley is a cordial and simple young man who is easy to approach and constant in love, but he lacks strength and independence in his marriage.
1. His cordial and simple character and his attitudes towards

love lead to his quiet romance with Jane.

2. His weak and easily-led character lead to his parting with

Jane.

Jane is a kind and mild girl with introverted disposition. She is constant in her love but lacks strength and self-confidence.
1. Her kind and mild character and her attitudes towards love

determine her steady romance with Bingley.

2. She lacks strength and self-confidence, which makes her

readily believe that Bingley loves her no more.

C. Their marriage is happy.

The combination of decent Darcy and sensible Elizabeth results in a successful marriage.
Darcy is a good man of integrity with proud appearance. He is constant in his love and willing to make sacrifice for his lover.
His true love to Elizabeth leads to his first proposal to Elizabeth regardless of her humble family and her inferior position.
His decent character and true love to Elizabeth result in the fact that he did his utmost to rescue Wickhame and Lydia from their trouble.
Elizabeth is an intelligent and sensible girl, who is self-dignified and prone to hasty judgements. She is also brave and discreet in her love.
Her intelligence, bravery and discretion in love bring about the fact that she refused Collins’ first proposal against her mother’s will.
The fact that she is self-dignified and prone to hasty judgement leads to her refusal of Darcy’s proposal.
Her sensibility and right love concept bring about her successful marriage.
C. Their marriage leads to a reconciliation of personal and

social claims.

Character reflects his or her marriage and attitudes towards love

----four different marriages in Pride and Prejudice

Among all the novels written by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice has been valued as the most successful and popular masterpiece. This novel is peopled with characters of her own social class: The ladies and gentlemen of the landed gentry. The plot of this novel revolve around the intricacies of courtship and marriage between members of her class, which is great attraction to many readers. Deeply impressed by four different marriages in Pride and Prejudice, I made an analysis of those four types of marriages and came to an conclusion that one’s character reflects his or her marriage and their attitudes towards marriage. The four couples, varied in their characters, presented us with four different distinct marriages.

The first marriage presented before us is the marriage of Collins and Charlotte. Collins was a conceited and foolish young man. He would inherit the estate of Longbourn, the property of Mr. Bennet upon his death, which amounts to depriving five daughters of Mr. Bennet of everything. Therefore, the five daughters would have not enough money to support their life unless they are lucky enough to marry well-to-do husbands. Collins was vulgar and servile, seldom opens his mouth without mentioning his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Her “affability and condescension” (Jane Austen 58) is so impressive upon him that he felt greatly flattered only by “her visit in his humble parsonage”.(Jane Austen 59)

Collins was pompous and narrow-minded man who never possess his own conception of love, he intends to get married merely because it was the particular advice and recommendation of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. To begin with, he made up his mind to marry one of the daughters of Mr. Bennet as a way of reconciliation with the Longbourn family. The beautiful Jane, undoubtedly, is his first choice. But when he was informed that Jane had been privately engaged, he swiftly change Jane to Elizabeth, who is “equally next to Jane in birth and beauty” (Jane Austen 62). No mutual acquaintance and love between each other. Marriage to Collins was only “a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances” and “advice from Lady Catherine de Bourgh” (Jane Austen 95). Jane Austen gave us a full statement of his background and character. “Mr. Collins was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society. The greatest part of his life having been spent under the guidance of an illiterate and miserly father, and though he belonged to one of the universities, he had merely kept the necessary terms, without forming at it any useful acquaintance. The subjection in which his father had brought him up, had given him originally great humility of manner, but it was now a good deal counteracted by the self-conceit of a weak head, living in retirement, and the consequential feeling of early and unexpected prosperity.” And “the respect which he felt for her high rank, and his veneration for her as his patroness, mingling with a very good option of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility.” (Jane Austen 61)

His character can be vividly reflected in his first proposal to Elizabeth and determines that his court was a failure. We are not surprised at his failure when we read his ridiculous proposal to Elizabeth: “But the fact is, that being, as I am, to inherit this estate after the death of your honored father. I could not satisfy myself without resolving to choose a wife from among his daughters, that the loss to them might be as little as possible, when the melancholy event takes place.” (Jane Austen 95) How rapacious and pompous he is! To acquire the wealth as well as a wife! What a ridiculous idea of his marriage conception it was!

Having been refused by Elizabeth, he quickly marries Charlotte. “In as short time as Mr Collins’ long speeches would allow, everything was settled between them to the satisfaction of both.” (Mordecai Marcus 274) We can see from here that his love to Charlotte was by no means sincere and genuine. To Collins, Charlotte was the only choice he could make. He was the very man who was incapable of normal personal feelings. His whole character has been absorbed by his social mask, and he relates only his social self to other social surfaces. Thus Collins did not exactly capitulate to social claims, for he never recognized personal claims, and he was blind to the fact that his own personal claims were distorted social claims. A brief analysis of his combination of arrogance and servility will explain this distortion. Collins valued only social power, and so he sought security by cringing before his superiors. To his potential inferiors he was arrogant and rude, which behavior expressed anger at those who would not recognize his social power and vindincative compensation for his cring. As long as a wife could be settled, it doesn’t matter whether it was Charlotte or Elizabeth or anyone else.

Charlotte seems to me is a mediocre and vain young lady. She accepted Collins solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment. Her mediocre perception and eagerness to get married prevent her from detecting Collins’ pomposity and foolishness. We can also see her attitudes towards love and marriage from her words “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar before-hand, it doesn’t advance their felicity in the least. They always contrive to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.” (Jane Austen 110) That is her idea of marriage, which accounts for her quick marriage with Collins. Besides, Collins is the only alternative to penury and social isolation.

Charlotte’s letters about her married life to Elizabeth fully revealed her vain character. She (Charlotte) wrote cheerfully, seemed surrounded with comforts, and mentioned nothing that she could not praise. The house, furniture, neighborhood, and roads, were all to her taste, and Lady Catherine’s behavior was most friendly and obliging. She knew that Elizabeth had looked down upon her for her choice, as no one could understand the strangeness of Mr. Collins’ making two offers of marriage within three days and “any woman who marries Collins, a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man, can’t have a proper way of thinking.” (Jane Austen 110) Actually, she marries for the sake of marriage but she pretends to be happy. Charlotte is pitiable and Collins is contemptible. “Their marriage presents a complete abandonment of personal claims in favor of social claims.” (Mordecai Marcus 275)

The combination of dissolute Wickhame and empty-minded Lydia results in a sex-oriented marriage.

Wickhame first appears us as a very charming fellow. But his character , on the contrary, was mean and wicked. “A curious degree of sexual attraction often goes with a lively, unreliable disposition, which may either be somewhat superficial but perfectly well-meaning, or driven by circumstance which it has not the strength to withstand, become that of a scoundrel.” (Douglas Bush 591)Wickhame was well on the way to being a scoundrel; but his sexual fascination was so great that Elizabeth Bennet, who was normally of a very critical turn of mind, saw at first absolutely nothing in him but made him seem the most charming man he had ever met. Wickham’s constant attention to Elizabeth made her feel sure that she was in love with him. Wickham’s love, however, was short-lived. Soon after he was reported to court another lady, Miss King, who possessed ten thousand pounds. A sharp contrast emerged between his agreeable appearance and mean character. He regarded love as nothing but a tool to acquire wealth.

His elopement with Lydia is very sudden. It really leaves us some rooms to contemplate his real motivation. Lydia was not rich. It seemed that Wickhame’s elopement with her was beyond understanding. Nevertheless, further reading clarifies the obscurity and tells us his whole character. There are two motivations behind it: 1. He was a dissolute man who never ceased seeking sexual passion. 2. He availed himself of a chance to flee his creditors. His flight was rendered necessary by distress of circumstances rather than by his affection to Lydia.

Lydia was a stout, well-grown girl of fifteen, a favorite with her mother, whose affection had brought her into public at an early age. She had high animal spirits, and a sort of natural self-consequence, which the attentions of the officials, to whom her uncle’s good dinners and her own easy manners recommended her, had increased into assurance. Lydia was an empty-minded and uncertain flirt who never ceased seeking her own fun and sexual excitement. The only interests in her life were to flirt with red-coated officials in a militia regiment in the neighborhood. Lydia’s minds were more vacant than their sisters’, and when nothing better offered, a walk to Meryton was necessary to amuse their morning hours and furnish conservation for the evening. And “Lydia, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Caption Carter, and her hope of seeing him in the course of the day, as he was going the next morning to London.” (Jane Austen 58) She was so temperamental that she cried bitterly when she heard that red-coated officials would leave the local town and rejoiced when some new red-coated officials come in.

As Lydia was young and empty-minded, she never give love a serious and proper consideration. Her thirsts for carnal desire and unrestrained life determine her sex-oriented marriage, Wickhame was seductive and pleasing outwardly, but mean and dirty inwardly. While Lydia, foolish and dissipated, only enchanted by his glorious appearance, see nothing of his real intention and personality. “At the opposite extreme to Collins and Charlotte, Wickhame and Lydia, who yield almost completely to personal claims” (Mark Schorer 72)

The combination of pleasant Bingley and mild Jane leads to a happy marriage.

Bingley was a popular person in the novel. He had a pleasant countenance and easy unaffected manners. We soon found that he was agreeable both in appearance and character. In the first ball at Netherfield, we began to make acquaintance of his personality through his behavior. “ Mr Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room, he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves” (Jane Austen 79) These personal strength certainly won Jane’s admiration, she thought that He was just what a young man ought to be, and sensible, good-humored, lively, and she never saw such happy manners! – so much ease, with perfect good breeding! Bingley’ falls in love with Jane at their first ball and their romance flourishes quietly and steadily. His affection towards Jane was obviously sincere and unaffected. When Jane suffered an illness his anxiety for Jane was evident, and his attentions to herself most pleasing.And “ diffuseness and warmth remained for Bingley’s salutation. He was full of joy and attention. The first half-hour was spent in piling up the fire, lest she should suffer from the change of room, and she removed at his desire to the other side of the fire-place, that she might be farther from the door. He then sat down by her, and talked scarcely to anyone else.” (Jane Austen 104) We can feel Bingley’s real concern and affection towards Jane from these details. He was cordial and constant in his love.

Pleasant and modest as he was, Bingley was far from the man who was strong and determined. When their romance went smoothly, his sudden departure nearly ends his happy love. The cause of his departure stems from his relationship with Darcy. Bingley was endeared to Darcy by the easiness, openness, ductility of his temper, though no disposition could offer a great contrast to his own, and though with his own, he never appeared dissatisfied. On the strength of Darcy’s regard, Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his judgement the highest opinion. His attachment to Jane was obvious, but he was so modest and pliable that he believed Darcy’s representation of Jane’s indifference; which, added Darcy, he genuinely believed himself. Darcy saw that Jane liked Bingley, but he did not believe her to be in love, and therefore liable to be injured except in a worldly sense by Bingley’s withdrawal. We can see this point from his letter to Elizabeth: “ Her (Jane) look and manners were open, cheerful and engaging as ever, but without any symptom of peculiar regard, and I remained convinced from the evening, that though she received his attentions with pleasure, she did not invite them by any participation of sentiment.” (Jane Austen 127) Under the influence of Mr. Darcy, Bingley began to doubt Jane’s affection to him, he left her without saying good-bye. Later, when all misunderstanding clarified, he came back to Jane at Darcy’s assistance. Bingley’s indecisive character determines that his happiness were controlled by others.

Jane was the most mild, kind and modest girl in this novel. Her character is vividly showed in many parts of the novel. “Compliments always take you (Jane) by surprise, and me (Elizabeth) never” and “ Oh, You (Jane) are a great deal too apt you know, to like people in general, you never see a fault in any body, all the world are too good and agreeable in your eyes. I (Elizabeth) never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life.” (George Saintsbury 194)We can see from here that it is quite natural for Jane, so kind and innocent, falls love with the pleasant and simple Bingley. She adored Bingley very much. But her tranquility and introversion nearly consumed her felicity. Jane was so excessively demure that even when her heart was fluttering with romantic passion, her manner showed only genteel pleasure and politeness. It was generally evident that Jane was yielding to the preference which she had begun to entertain for him from the first, and was in a way to be very much in love; but she considered with pleasure that it was not likely to be discovered by the world in general, since Jane united with great strength of a feeling, a composure of temper and a uniform cheerfulness of manner, which would guard her from the suspicious of the impertinent. Jane cherished her feelings towards Bingley, yet she chose to conceal it. She tried to control her passion, lest anyone find it. Darcy, therefore, could detect no attachments from her serene appearance and forms the idea that Bingley was involved in an unrequited love. Then, great efforts were ensured to separate Bingley from Jane.

Having been informed of Bingley’s departure, Jane was in great distress. But she pretended to be all right and said nothing about her sadness. Her weakness and obedience had been thoroughly exposed now. “ ‘You doubt me’, cried Jane, slightly coloring “Indeed you have no reason. He may Ilive in my memory as the most amiable man of my acquaintance, but that is all. I have nothing either to hope or fear, and nothing to reproach him with. Thank God! I have not that pain. A little time therefore – I shall certainly try to get the better.’” That’s all her interpretation and solutions to the wound of love, “ a little time” (Jane Austen 134) can ease her mind, cure her wound. What a passive attitude towards love it is! They finally got married and lived happily ever after, which were the results of Darcy and Elizabeht’s efforts. As I analyzed before that Wickhame and Lydia’s marriage represents capitulation to personal claims. It is difficult to fit Bingley and Jane into this pattern because immobility, not capitulation or progressive adjustment, characterizes them until they are united by outside forces. They may, however, be connected to the pattern by noting that they possess traits necessary for adjustment but do not see this until it is pointed out to them. They are also related to the pattern by their inability to assert personal claims and resist certain social claims, which inability results in passivity rather than in adjustment or capitulation. In the thematic structure they can be placed towards the center, but below Darcy and Elizabeth in a realm of impercipience, passivity, and chance.

The combination of decent Darcy and sensible Elizabeth results in a successful marriage. I give this marriage much preference over the other ones, as it is a great inspiration to us and an ideal one we are looking for. Darcy first appears to us as a handsome but very proud person, cold and ill-mannered. “Darcy soon draw the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome feature, noble mien.” And “ he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud , to be above his company, or above being pleased!” (Wu Weren 125) As a matter of fact, he was a good man, a man of integrity, with the sombre attractiveness of a wicked one. His love to Elizabeth, nourished by day-to-day encounters with her, grew steadily and quickly. He admired Elizabeth for her intelligence and disposition, tried to understand her by every possible means. The more he understood, the more he loved her. His first proposal to Elizabeth is the culmination of the whole novel. Darcy. Suffered by his long-suppressed feeling, decided to make a proposal to Elizabeth. It was no easy thing for him to court her regardless of her humble family and her inferior position. But his ardent admiration for Elizabeth beats his consciousness and social position. While his arrogance spoiled the chance of being accepted. He chose to tell her that he liked her against his character, against his will and reason. His sense of her inferiority, of its being a degradation, of the family obstacles seriously offended Elizabeth. So she indignantly hurled his proposal back in his face. Embarrassed and ruffled, he didn’t lose the control of himself, he acted like a real gentleman, he asked Elizabeth to forgive him for having taken up so much of her time, and accept his best wishes for her health and happiness. His love to Elizabeth, undoubtedly, was ardent and sincere, even Elizabeth herself was quite astonished at his court and sorry for the pain he had suffered. “Her astonishment, as she reflected on what had passed, was increased by every review of it. That she should receive an offer of marriage from Darcy! That he should have been in love with her for so many months! So much in love as to wish to marry her in spite of all the objection which had prevented his friend’s marrying her sister, and must appear at lease with equal force in his own case, was almost incredible!” (Jane Austen 174)

Darcy’s steady character and noble minds determine that his love was not mere overnight’s impulse. After having been accused of arrogance and selfish of the feelings of others, Darcy decided to make a change of himself. In order to win the favourable impression of Elizabeth, he invited Elizabeth, her aunt and uncle to visit his Pemberley. No efforts spared on the part of Darcy, we can find his manners remarkably improved and his behavior strikingly altered! That he should even speak to her was amazing! – but to speak with such civility, to inquire after her family! Never in her life had she seen his manners, so little dignified, never had he spoken with such gentleness as to this unexpected meeting. What a contrast did it offer to his last address in Rosing’s park, when he put his letter into her hand! She knew not what to think nor how to account for it! Of course, she could account for it! Love was the real cause of all those amazing alternations.

We can get a better understanding of Darcy’s character through Lydia Wickhame’s case. He certainly had deep aversion to Wickhame for he had seduced his sister in vain and slandered him maliciously. However, his affection for Elizabeth outweighed anything else. He did his utmost to rescue L:ydia and Wickhame from their trouble. He met Lydia and Wickhame several times, extricate them from their debts and assist them in their marriage. Without consideration of humiliation and social position, he did all these things secretly and consciously. The only motive he professed was that his conviction of its being owing to himself that Wickhame’s worthlessness had not been so well-known, as to make it impossible for any young women of character, to love or confide in him. But we were all deeply touched by the real motive behind this.

Elizabeth is my favorite heroine. “She was a young woman very much addicted to making speeches, very pert often, fond of having the last w