Marriage
"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part” (Book of Common Prayer). These words bring together man and woman as husband and wife in marriage. As the vow states, marriage requires the couple to love each other for the rest of their lives. However, the society of Pride and Prejudice views marriage as a means for women to raise lower societal rank by being with men of higher class and affluence: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen 5). Having such a view, the true fundamentals of marriage are defaced, for societal competition can lead to marriage for money and other benefits, or simply for practical matters. Such mercenary or prudent marriages devalue love, an integral constituent of marriage. Throughout the novel, love relationships, at times also prudent, are the ones that culminate in success, namely, Jane and Bingley and Elizabeth and Darcy. Therefore, love is the most favorable basis for marriage: “Love is the master key which opens the gates of happiness” (Holmes).
With no concern for love, mercenary marriages seek to satisfy monetary needs and gather other benefits. At the onset, George Wickham is a charming gentleman with agreeable qualities; when, in actuality, he is a money-hungry failure. He purports to be pleasant to lure women that have the potential to fund his extravagant spending. He jumps from Elizabeth to Ms. King because Ms. King receives her grandfather’s fortune, and he finally marries Lydia only for Darcy’s money. With Wickham’s apathy towards love, “his affection for [Lydia] soon sunk into indifference” (374) once their money is lost. Meanwhile, Lydia is left to her own naiveté to feel that their affection remained strong. Clearly, their mercenary marriage shows no accord or happiness; therefore, money cannot be a positive foundation for matrimony. As for the Bennets, marriage satisfies other benefits.
Besides money, other rewards can be sought in a mercenary marriage. Mr. Bennet marries Mrs. Bennet to satisfy his aesthetical preference: “[Mr. Bennet], captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour which youth and beauty generally give, had married [Mrs. Bennet]” (231). Though Mrs. Bennet’s elegance satisfied Mr. Bennet for some time, “[her] weak understanding and illiberal mind had, very early in their marriage, put an end to all real affection for her. Respect, esteem, and confidence had vanished for ever; and all his views of domestic happiness were overthrown” (231). Mr. Bennet is certainly regretful of his marital motives and warns Elizabeth to not reciprocate his past with Darcy: “My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life” (364). Furthermore, mercenary marriages precipitate unhappiness; therefore, they are, undoubtably, an unfavorable basis for marriage.
A prudent marriage is one that uses practical common sense as the fundament for a union. For this purpose, Mr. Collins and Charlotte are quintessential. When Mr. Collins originally proposes to Elizabeth, he uses logos to reason out the advantages for such a marriage:
``My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish; secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly—which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness” (105).
For Mr. Collins, a marriage with Elizabeth would meet all his needs; hence, it is prudent.
When Collins marries Charlotte, Charlotte also exhibits prudence in her motives for marriage: “Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and, however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want” (122). Charlotte desperately wants a husband to provide for her lifelong necessities and finds her answer in Mr. Collins: “I ask only a comfortable home” (125).
Though their marriage coincides with reason, Charlotte has a disposition that “happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance” (24). By only satisfying logic, their relationship unfortunately does not beat the odds. When Elizabeth visits the couple in Hunsford, Charlotte only seems happy for her husband’s goods and not Mr. Collins himself. Mr. Collins’ sycophantic nature was bearable for “[Charlotte’s] home and her housekeeping, her parish and her poultry, and all their dependent concerns, had not yet lost their charms” (212). Though their marriage continues, it is implicit that Collins and Charlotte feel nothing for each other and are only satisfying desperation. Thus, prudent marriage is not the most favorable basis for marriage, but possibly most reasonable.
A love marriage bonds man and woman by love. Jane Bennet is the most positive person imaginable: “[Jane] never see[s] a fault in any body. All the world are good and agreeable in [her] eyes” (16). Similar to Jane, Bingley is fond of everyone, as seen at the Meryton ball: “I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life” (13). When Bingley meets Jane, they automatically fall “violently in love” (140), for both characters share universal impartiality. With love, the couple rejoices in happiness until Darcy splits them apart, yet their affection remained as seen when they are brought back together. Jane “was the happiest creature in the world” (335). As for Elizabeth and Darcy, a first impression ruins their early stages of development. Elizabeth feels prejudiced against Darcy for his haughty manner and cold civility when denying her at the Meryton ball: “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” (13). This prejudice runs throughout the entire novel until Darcy expresses the utmost love for Elizabeth by paying for Lydia’s marriage to the man who Darcy despises. Elizabeth sees the wrong in her judgment and loves Darcy for his true self. Darcy did show disapproval of Elizabeth at first, yet he was “disgusted with the women who were always speaking, and looking, and thinking for [his] approbation alone. [Elizabeth] roused and interested [him], because [she] was so unlike them”(367). It is true; Darcy puts aside the matter of prudence and loves Elizabeth for her true self.
In both love marriages, the two Bennet daughters not only fulfill lasting contentment, but also maintain prudence. As for the gentleman, the lowering of class is a necessity of love. The love for their wives could not bring them any more happiness, and they do not care for societal differences or familial disapprobation: “To be sure you know no actual good of me—but nobody thinks of that when they fall in love” (367). As the marriage vow did state, no matter rich or poor, unlike the Wickhams, for better or worse, unlike the Bennets and Collinses, we are to love and to cherish our spouses, like the Bingleys and Darcys, till death do us part. Love marriage brought true felicity, something mercenary or prudent marriages could never provide: “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (Corinthians 13:7-8).
