In the novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen asserts that a happy marriage comes not from the compliance with social conventions, but rather from the compatibility between the personalities of two individuals. The interclass marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, and the expected “intraclass” marriage of Lady Catherine’s daughter stand as a foil to the true happiness in the interclass marriage of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. A lack of affection, esteem and congruity between the Bennet’s, and likewise between Miss de Bourgh and Mr. Darcy, results in an unsuccessful marriage and a potentially unsuccessful marriage, respectively, while the paradigm of these qualities between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy generate a successful relationship. By illustrating that happiness and unhappiness in marriage overlook the boundaries of the class system, Austen emphasizes the individual and thus challenges the English class system.
Although the most commended marriage in the novel involves individuals from......
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Approximate Word Count: 2161
Approximate Pages: 9 (260 words per double-spaced page) |