Abstract
At Jane’s time, women were not as independent as men, men owned most of the society source, women were treated as lower level than men in capacity and intelligence, women were required to strive for social status, respectability, property and marriage, most of women got these by marriage, so at that time the property and society status is the most important factors for women when choose husband. But Jane Austen showed her feminine marriage concept through a vivid and realistic description of love and marriage of a middle-class lady and her surrounding people. In this paper, mainly by analyzing five couples’ love and marriage to reveal Jane Austen’s perspective to happy marriage. With reading Jane Austen’s work, we know Jane Austen never neglects the importance of property, but she tells us love is the foundation of marriage, however property is the material guarantee of a happy marriage. This is the social circumstances and trend at her time, but it actually still works today. The similar story is actually happening in our real life today.
Keywords Property； Love； Reality； Marriage
Contents
Abstract 1
Contents 2
1. Introduction 3
1.1. Jane Austen’s society and education background 3
1.2. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice 4
2. Five marriage 5
2.1. The common concept of marriage at that time 5
2.2. Five marriages in Pride and Prejudice 5
2.2.1.Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet’s marriage 5
2.2.2. Mr. Collins and Charlotte’s marriage 7
2.2.3. Lydia and Wickham’s marriage 9
2.2.4. Jane and Mr. Bingley’s marriage 10
2.2.5. Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage 11
3. Marriage concept 12
3.1. Jane Austen’s view on marriage 12
3.2. People’s view on marriage today 12
4.Conclusion 13
Acknowledgements 14
