In the novel Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen presents the reader with a very good idea of how people during this time period viewed marriage through the characters in the novel. Marriage in the 18th century was the most important thing in a person's life, especially a woman's because she had no other way to support herself other than to have a husband. Various characters in the novel married their spouses for money or other reasons but not for love . In our society, most people marry for love rather than money and marriage outside a persons economic class is not frowned upon. Also, today divorce is an option and women can support themselves just as well as a man can. Characters in novel marry for other reasons that are not based on love however, some characters married for love regardless of the prejudices against a certain class. The marriages for money do not conclude with happiness in the novel and the marriages for love end with pleasure and contentment. .
The theme of marriage is stated in the first sentence of the novel " It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife p. 3" Jane Austen means that any man of wealth must be the object of desire by all women. Women in this novel view marriage as a type of security and often marry so that they would be taken care of, rather than to marry for love. For Example, Charlotte Lucas married Mr. Collins for security because he was going to inherit the Bennet's estate, Longbourne, when Mr.Bennet died due to entailment. She knew she was going to be supported and was looking out for her future financial status. Also Mrs.Bennet married for a financial gain and says she seduced Mr.Bennet by being quiet and smiling a lot. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are obviously not happy with their marriage and Mr.Bennet often enjoys his time alone in his library, where he if far away from his wife.
