An Analysis of Women’s Social Status at Bourgeois Times from Marriage in Pride and Prejudice(1)
Abstract
The opening sentence of Pride and Prejudice left the deep impression on readers almost two centuries ago. As the author of Pride and Prejudice， Jane Austen was one of the famous realistic writers in English literature in the nineteenth century. In Pride and Prejudice Austen wrote four marriage types: ideal Elizabeth and Darcy， realizable Charlotte and Collins， felicitous Jane and Bingley， unhappy Lydia and Wickham. She pointed out emphatically economic consideration is the bonds of wedlock and love. She said marriage is not determined by property and family status; it is unwise to marry without money， but it is wrong to marry for money; the marriage settled by love is happy and ideal.
The thesis made an interpretation of women’s social status from perspectives of marriage in the period when Pride and Prejudice is set. In the novel， Austen emphasized marriage should be of equal importance both by love and by economic consideration but love plays the guiding role. From the described marriages， the essential of bourgeois marriage system intensively， Austen expressed that it's combination of pecuniary bargaining and benefits. In that time， marriage to women has nothing to do with feeling; it is definitely a problem of economy and survival due to the financial dependence.
Key Words: Pride and Prejudice; views of marriage; social status;
1. Introduction
Jane Austen was a British woman writer. One of Jane's most remarkable traits was her observation of human character and nature. And Pride and Prejudice has won her the highest reputatio