Essay about For Love or Money Marriage in Jane Austen’s Time

Women of the 1800’s were very limited in what they could do in life - especially the women of the upper and middle classes. They were expected to do nothing more than marry and to marry well. If they could not do this, the life that they faced was very grim. It would be a life of spinsterhood and being cared for by other family members, or working as a governess for some upper class family. Jane Austen’s book, Pride and Prejudice, shows the reader the importance of marrying, and, hopefully, marrying well, but also the important of marrying for love. Jane Austen was born in1775, and the world that she grew up in was one that was very limited for women. Jane was very lucky in the fact that her parents knew how important an education was†¦show more content†¦This does show us that Mrs. Bennet cares for her daughters, but she is not the very best of parents. She is willing to give away her daughters to almost any well-off and available man. This makes Mrs. Bennet look greedy and unrefined in her pursuit of sons-in-laws. Because of her actions, Jane and Elizabeth are similarly characterized by Mr. Darcy. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett do not have the very best marriage. They have been married for twenty-three years, but most of them perhaps unhappy years. When they married, Mr. Bennet saw only the youth and beauty of his wife and not the weak understanding and intolerant mind. As their marriage matured, these later traits led him to resent his wife and make her the brunt of his sarcastic humor. Mr. Bennet has little to no love for his three youngest daughters. He finds them to be silly and uninformed. As for Jane and Elizabeth, the older daughters, his opinion is much different. He sees that Jane has beauty and a goodness of nature that recommends her to all, but it is his dearest Lizzy that is his favorite. She is intelligent and has a strong character that is not seen in any of her sisters. Austen shows us that choosing the wrong partner in life can result in more than just a miserable marriage; it can lead to neglected children unprepared for the challenges of life and an unsecured future. Mrs. Bennett’s husband has chosen to spend most of his time hidden away in his library with his books - and in so doing - he has failed as aShow MoreRelatedJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1675 Words   |  7 PagesIn Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, she has specific criteria that her characters follow when choosing their mates. In today’s society, most couples still follow these criteria and more when choosing their ideal mate. What are these important criteria that Austen’s characters consider when choosing a mate? For Austen, the important criteria that she has for choosing a mate are that couples are personally compatible, they are in love with each other, and they must have a good moral character. 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