Pride and Prejudice: Love and Marriage? Sometimes...
Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of someone or other of their daughters." (Opening line of Pride and Prejudice)
Pride and Prejudice is probably the most popular of Austen’s novels. It is with this preceding quote that the novel begins and it is here that Austen focuses her attention. Pride and Prejudice aims at displaying the ideals of marriage from a comical perspective. Sometimes it is in the humor and playfulness between two people that love emerges, and in other cases it is literal mockery of a spouse intended to make fun of them. Either way, Austen follows the heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, on her quest to find an eligible suitor (or at least have a little fun while looking for one) while dealing with manners, education, upbringing, morality, and of course, marriage in the society of the landed gentry in early 19th century England. With this novel, Wylie claims that Austen, “wished to break from the restrictive confines of the sentimental novel,” (2000, 62) and comedy was the way to do it. Wylie also goes on to state that by writing comedy Austen was in a sense trespassing on male literary territory. I would love for Jane to be alive today to get a response!
Aimed with her ironic wit, Austen jumps right into Pride and Prejudice at the hands of the Bennets. Throughout the entirety of the novel it is this couple that will be referenced on more than one occasion, as they are one of the staples in Austen’s comedy. The comedy that Austen imposes right in the first scene is a force to be reckoned with. The bantering back and forth between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet is hilarious. As Mrs. Bennet continuously has breakdowns and complains about his lack of understanding in regards to her nerves, Mr. Bennet responds, “You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least” (180). He is constantly poking fun at his wife, as it is the only way to keep his sanity (along with the solace he finds in his library). "Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news” (180). No matter how snidely he comments, Mrs. Bennet just doesn’t seem to catch onto her husband’s sarcasm. All in all, in this first chapter she is painted as a kind of caricature with her exaggerated expressions, harsh tongue, and simple mindedness who is completely ignorant of her own ridiculousness, shallowness, and husband’s disregard for her.
As Austen parallels marriages and relationships throughout the novel, a contrast to the Bennets, yet still bursting with humor and wit is that of Darcy and Elizabeth. Upon their initial meeting they both had a strong sense of disgust for one another which is what ultimately brought them together. They soon realize the enjoyment they get in teasing one another. And although Darcy has to propose not once, but twice, to Elizabeth, she finally agrees to marry him. To portray the comedy Austen pushes forth, it is upon telling her sister Jane of her engagement to which Jane wants to know when she knew she was in love. Elizabeth continues to tell her that it must have been upon seeing Pemberley for the first time (yes, Darcy’s estate in all its glory). Austen advocates that this humor in courtship leads to happiness in marriage. Contrary to the relationship that her parents have, Elizabeth is happy in love, not just settling with someone based on flattery and charm.
A third view on the comedy of marriage in Pride in Prejudice comes from Lydia Bennet and Wickham. Lydia can be looked upon the train wreck of the family. She has completely disgraced the Bennet name by running off with the weasel, Wickham. Since it is insisted upon that he marry her and make an honest woman of her, their relationship slowly begins to mirror that of her parents. (And that is not a good thing!) It even causes Mr. Bennet, given the circumstances to esteem Wickham as his favorite son-in-law because he now has the same life long burden. A major aspect of humor in this arrangement is the mother’s okay of the relationship as it gets one more of her daughters out of the nest, not even caring how it looked in the public eye. (And not to mention all of the disturbance it has caused.)
Ultimately, Austen uses her power of comedy to portray the different relationships and marriages of the characters throughout Pride and Prejudice. The three with the most profound extremes have been shared here. To follow up with what Wylie says, “The overt lesson of Austen’s satire is that male supremacy is no joke but rather a force to be reckoned with, and to survive, a female must gain masculine approval and protection” (62). Each of Austen’s characters has lived up to this, it just depends which side of the fence they have landed on.
Pride and Prejudice is probably the most popular of Austen’s novels. It is with this preceding quote that the novel begins and it is here that Austen focuses her attention. Pride and Prejudice aims at displaying the ideals of marriage from a comical perspective. Sometimes it is in the humor and playfulness between two people that love emerges, and in other cases it is literal mockery of a spouse intended to make fun of them. Either way, Austen follows the heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, on her quest to find an eligible suitor (or at least have a little fun while looking for one) while dealing with manners, education, upbringing, morality, and of course, marriage in the society of the landed gentry in early 19th century England. With this novel, Wylie claims that Austen, “wished to break from the restrictive confines of the sentimental novel,” (2000, 62) and comedy was the way to do it. Wylie also goes on to state that by writing comedy Austen was in a sense trespassing on male literary territory. I would love for Jane to be alive today to get a response!
Aimed with her ironic wit, Austen jumps right into Pride and Prejudice at the hands of the Bennets. Throughout the entirety of the novel it is this couple that will be referenced on more than one occasion, as they are one of the staples in Austen’s comedy. The comedy that Austen imposes right in the first scene is a force to be reckoned with. The bantering back and forth between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet is hilarious. As Mrs. Bennet continuously has breakdowns and complains about his lack of understanding in regards to her nerves, Mr. Bennet responds, “You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least” (180). He is constantly poking fun at his wife, as it is the only way to keep his sanity (along with the solace he finds in his library). "Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news” (180). No matter how snidely he comments, Mrs. Bennet just doesn’t seem to catch onto her husband’s sarcasm. All in all, in this first chapter she is painted as a kind of caricature with her exaggerated expressions, harsh tongue, and simple mindedness who is completely ignorant of her own ridiculousness, shallowness, and husband’s disregard for her.
As Austen parallels marriages and relationships throughout the novel, a contrast to the Bennets, yet still bursting with humor and wit is that of Darcy and Elizabeth. Upon their initial meeting they both had a strong sense of disgust for one another which is what ultimately brought them together. They soon realize the enjoyment they get in teasing one another. And although Darcy has to propose not once, but twice, to Elizabeth, she finally agrees to marry him. To portray the comedy Austen pushes forth, it is upon telling her sister Jane of her engagement to which Jane wants to know when she knew she was in love. Elizabeth continues to tell her that it must have been upon seeing Pemberley for the first time (yes, Darcy’s estate in all its glory). Austen advocates that this humor in courtship leads to happiness in marriage. Contrary to the relationship that her parents have, Elizabeth is happy in love, not just settling with someone based on flattery and charm.
A third view on the comedy of marriage in Pride in Prejudice comes from Lydia Bennet and Wickham. Lydia can be looked upon the train wreck of the family. She has completely disgraced the Bennet name by running off with the weasel, Wickham. Since it is insisted upon that he marry her and make an honest woman of her, their relationship slowly begins to mirror that of her parents. (And that is not a good thing!) It even causes Mr. Bennet, given the circumstances to esteem Wickham as his favorite son-in-law because he now has the same life long burden. A major aspect of humor in this arrangement is the mother’s okay of the relationship as it gets one more of her daughters out of the nest, not even caring how it looked in the public eye. (And not to mention all of the disturbance it has caused.)
Ultimately, Austen uses her power of comedy to portray the different relationships and marriages of the characters throughout Pride and Prejudice. The three with the most profound extremes have been shared here. To follow up with what Wylie says, “The overt lesson of Austen’s satire is that male supremacy is no joke but rather a force to be reckoned with, and to survive, a female must gain masculine approval and protection” (62). Each of Austen’s characters has lived up to this, it just depends which side of the fence they have landed on.