Jayde's Analysis of Pride and Prejudice: Marriage.
Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice, is a complex web of intricate symbolism, characterization, and a satirical analysis of the social structure of 1900's patriarchal England. The prevalent, underlying theme of the novel, is marriage, and courtship, of which all other significant themes and critics derive stimulation from. Jane Austen possessed extremely comprehensive and non-conventional views for a woman of her era, as are vented via the character of Elizabeth. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." The renowned opening passage of Pride and Prejudice sustains and amplifies the importance of marriage within the world of the novel. The narrative alludes to Austen's own belief that marriage should not occur on the grounds of superficial feelings, conformity, or wealth and social status. Throughout the progression of the novel, Austen juxtaposes the conventional views on love and marriage of her era. Her employment of witty satire and elegant social comedies reveal what she believed to be the inadequacies of socially engineered marriage; rather, presenting the ideal that marriage should be based on the foundation of love, mutual understanding and acceptance. The notion of this concept is encompassed in the passage of the novel's two focal character's Elizabeth Bennet, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, whom overcome infinite obstacles in their quest to achieve fulfilment. Austen uses characters as literary devices to formulate a juxtaposition between relationships within the novel who have married for love, and relationships which have married for alternative motives. The satirical presentation of the latter relationship convey the message, that it is only via love, that the novels central characters can achieve true happiness. .