MoneyandHappiness

centurywithherownopinionsaboutmarriage,inPrideandPrejudice,throughherdescriptionoffourwomen'smarriages,expressessuchviews:amarriagebasedonloveisahappyone;amarriageeitherformoneyorforlustisanunhappyone,whicharestillofrealisticsignificance.
prideandprejudicemarriagemoneyhappinesslovePrideandPrejudiceisoneofAusten'sgreatestworks.Inthisbook,Austendescribesdifferentkindsofmarriages.Accordingtothesemarriages,JaneAustenexpresseshermarriageviews:regardingthemarriageasafinalsettlingplace,whichoneisforcedtofindforlife,andsubmittingtothemoneyandpower,justlikethemarriageofCharlotte;orregardingthemarriageasindiscreetgamesforashorttime'ssexualpassion,suchasWickhamandLydia'smarriage;orregardingthemarriageasthehappyflowerswateredbylove.ItstypicalrepresentativeisthemarriageofDarcyandElizabeth.ThispaperfocusesontheanalysisofElizabeth'sandCharlotte'smarriages.
Ⅰ.Themarriageformoney(CollinsandCharlotte’smarriage)
InPrideandPrejudice,JaneAustendescribesaridiculouslypompousclergyman--Mr.Collins.Heisastupidclergymanwhoalwaysthinkshighlyofhimselfandlikesplayinguptotheinfluentialfigureswholeheartedly.Helivesarichlifewithahouseandahighincome.But,Mr.Collinsdoesn'tknowwhatlovemeans.Forhim,marriageonlymeansfinishingatask.So,afterElizabeth'srefusal,healmostimmediatelytransfershisaffectionstoCharlotte.
Charlotteacceptsatoncehisofferofmarriage.Infact,CharlotteunderstandsclearlyMr.Collinsisneitherasensiblenoranagreeableman.ButshestillwantsMr.Collinstobecomeherhusband.Forher,attheageof27andwithoutproperty,marriagehasalwaysbeenherobject.Charlottebymarriagejustwantstogetarichhusband.But,isCharlotte'smatrimonyindeedhappy?
Fromthedescriptionofthe28thchapter,wegettoknowtheanswer:ElizabethpaysvisittoMr.andMrs.Collins,andwhenMr.Collinssayssomethingofwhichhiswifemayreasonablybeashamed,Charlottewiselypretendsnottohearandshecanleavehimasidetoshowhersisterandherfriendaroundherhousebyherself,whichmakesCharlotteextremelypleased.SolongasMr.Collinscanbeforgotten,thereisreallyagreatairofcomfortthroughout.Thisistheirmarriage.Whatisinterestingaboutthemarriageisthatthewomanwithoutpropertyindeedgotmarriedtothesinglemanwithalotofproperty,butthehappinessthemarriagebringstoherisfromsomethingelsebutnotherhusband.
ThroughdescribingCharlotte'smarriage,JaneAustenrevealsthatthemarriagethatispurelybasedoneconomyhasnohappinessatall.
Ⅱ.Themarriagefortruelove
ElizabethandDarcy’smarriageisoneofthehappy,idealmarriages,whichthewriterdescribesasfocalpoint.Elizabethisaveryclever,activeandprettygirl.Shehasnotbeenaffectedbythetraditionalconceptthatmostgirlshave.Themostimportantaspectisthatsheisaladywithdignityandupbringing.Darcyisamanwithhighstatusandgoodmanner.Heishandsome,richandpowerful.Soheistheidealhusbandingirl'seyes.Buthehasgrownupinthesurroundingswithastrongsenseofpower,soheisalwaysselfishandarrogant.
Atfirst,hedoesn'tcareforElizabeth.HelooksdownuponElizabeth'sfamilyandtheirsocialposition.But,gradually,heisattractedbyherveryfineeyes,hervivacity,herfrankness,herkeenintelligenceandgenuinecharm.Sosoon,Mr.DarcyfallsinlovewithElizabeth.AlthoughheexpresseshislovetoElizabeth,hecouldn'thelpshowinghisarrogance,whichmakesElizabethhaveprejudiceonDarcy.DarcylovesElizabeth,butlooksdownuponhersocialstatus.Heconsidersthathehasbeenlowinghimselfanddoingsomethingagainsthiswill,personalitiesandevenmoralstandard.HethinksthathismarriagewouldcertainlysuceedandElizabethiswaitingforhimtoproposemarriage.However,Elizabeth,deeply-rooteddislikinghim,resolutelyrefusedhisofferofmarriageandcondemnedhisprideangrily.TheultimatefailuremakesDarcywakeup.Heisawareofhisownshortcomings.HeacceptsElizabeth'scriticism,andfaithfullycorrectsthemistakes.HeisnolongerarrogantandhasareallovewithElizabeth.
ThevisittoDarcy'shousemadeanimportantinfluenceonElizabeth'sfeelingstowardsDarcy.ElizabethadmiresDarcy'stasteindecoration,andhissenseofresponsibilityisconfirmedbythehousekeeper'spraise.Thehousekeeper'saccountofDarcysuggeststhattheproudimpressionhegivesismistaken.WhatElizabethsawandheardatDarcy'shomeisablowtoherprideinherpowerofjudgment.Atlast,sheknowsDarcy'struecharacters,andherprejudicesagainsthimbegintoweaken,andherfeelingstowardshimbegingraduallytosoften.ShefinallyfallsinlovewithDarcy.
Inotherwords,Darcychangestheattitudeofbeingarrogant,andthisistheessentialreasonwhyDarcywinsElizabeth'sheartandlove.WecanimagineifDarcydoesn'tchangehismind,evenifothermisunderstandingshavebeenresolved,theywouldnotfallinloveforever.
ThroughAusten'sdescriptionofthedifferentmarriages,itisnotdifficultforustounderstandthatmarriageisconnectedwith,butnotdecidedbymoneyandsocialposition.Ahappymarriageshouldbebasedonadorationandrespectforeachother.Austenopposesnotonlymarriageformoney,butalsoindiscreetmarriage,andemphasizeslove'simportanceinmarriage.Herviewsarestillofrealisticsignificance.