《傲慢与偏见》中的婚姻观.docx

Analysis of Marriage View in Pride and PrejudiceSubmitted by He WanliTo School of Foreign Languages,Nanjing University of Finance and EconomicsNanjingIn partial completion of requirementsfor the degree of Bachelor of LiteratureMay 2017I certify that all material that is not my own work in this thesis has been identified.1ACKNOWLEDGEMENTI am grateful to the teachers for their patient help and warm encouragement. I would like, first of all, to show my sincere gratitude to Wen Jing, my supervisor, for his/her valuable guidance and generous support. Through the work, she gave me great encouragement, which gave me the confidence and strength to complete the dissertation successfully.Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my teachers who have taught me in the past four years. It is because of their help and guidance that I can finish my university schooling and my paper successfully. 中文摘要本文从包含女性社会地位以及简·奥斯汀本身的婚姻观念、女性主义发展的影响和书中两种不同的婚姻的对比三个方面分析傲慢与偏见这本书所表达出的婚姻观念，从而得出结论，基于真爱的婚姻在结婚后会充满幸福，然而基于欲望和物质利益的婚姻在结婚后有的会是欺骗与利用。关键词： 社会背景 婚姻观 简·奥斯汀AbstractThis thesis analyzes the marriage views in the book Pride and Prejudice from three main parts including the social background which includes womens social position and influence of Jane Austen herself, the development of feminism and the comparing of two kinds of marriages in the book. From the analysis of these aspects, the conclusion that the marriage based on love would have great happiness after marriage, while the later one based on sexual desire and material benefit which would exist with deceiving and utilizing can be summarized. Key Words: social background; marriage view; Jane AustenCONTENTS1. Introduction12. The social background in late 18th century and early 19th century12.1. Womens social position at that time in late 18th century and early 19th century12.2. The influence of the writer Jane Austen herself to the marriage view in the book Pride and Prejudice23. The development and influence of feminism at that time both in the book and society43.1. The development of feminism at that era in the society43.2. The influence of feminism thought to characters in the book44. The comparing of two kinds of marriages in the book Pride and Prejudice64.1. The analysis of Elizabeth and Darcys marriage64.2. The analysis of Wycombe and Lydias marriage74.3. The comparing of marriage view of the 18th and 19th century and it in todays society75. Conclusion9Works Cited11Analysis of Marriage View inPride and PrejudiceHe Wanli, Class 2, School of Foreign Languages, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics1. Introduction This paper discusses and analyzes the view of marriage in the book Pride and Prejudice which reflecting the marriage view of people in the late 18th century and early 19th century. The causes of these four different kinds of marriage views appeared will be discussed and analyzed in the thesis, such as the influence of traditional social background and the effect of the development of feminism at that time. For those literature stories written by writers like Jane Austen, the development of the love stories are always twisting but has happy endings finally. Actually these tough plots of the love stories in Jane Austens book are the reflecting of the social pressure to marriage at that time. The word that Marriage has to be matched is rooted into peoples heart and the matched point always means the family background, namely the material condition and power position. These books also express the yearning for free marriage with love of the writer herself which derives from her unsatisfying own love story at that era. For example, at the very beginning of the book, theres a sentence that “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” (Austen, 1813:2)This sentence naturally draws the next topic of marriage and love, and then the story can go on. While this sentence also expresses its hidden meaning in it at the same time. For women, they need and have to rely on men by marriage, especially marrying to rich men so that they would have dependence. Just like an American scholar said that the narrator wanted to be outside the story rather than observe the characters life and story, but this didnt last long. This story is mixed with the writers own wish and idea. 2. The social background in late 18th century and early 19th century2.1. Womens social position at that time in late 18th century and early 19th centuryIn 19th century, womans position is not as equal as man like nowadays and woman is seemed to be not smart enough like man as well as having enough ability to complete events so woman is connected to family and to deal with family problems only. Then people naturally had the thought that woman should obey to their husband and the tolerance and obedience are womans virtue at that time. They had to commit that woman are naturally not good and smart enough as man and they had to listen to mans words and orders. Man had become the only financial support in a home. So marriage is always linked to finance.At that era, the heritage cannot be received by woman, heritage is for man. So even though woman in middle class, they still had not much fortune after their fathers death. Man had become the only financial support in a home. So marriage is always linked to finance. For young ladies at that time, marrying to a rich man is the only way to get respect, peace and good social position. (颉，2000:28)The social environment of Austens era was not suitable for the creation of female characters because the view that female is naturally with low intelligence was rooted in peoples heart deeply, so many male critics always had psychological repellence to female writers or even combined words attack to female writers. Besides, male critics always expressed an attitude of so-called protection to female writers that they usually considered the success of females as a result of luck and themes of works of female writers were not lofty. Under this kind of adverse environment, every works about feminism might be blamed or even criticized by those male critics, so feminism developed quite slowly but still kept going until today. In nowadays, females have had many rights comparing to before which is the result of fighting of every feminist in every time era. Although females have had many equal rights like males, unequal treatment still exists, such as in work, job and study. The view that woman should not go to work or should be at home to take care of children has been rooted deeply in peoples mind. Whats more, womans intelligence being not as good as man is also a common idea among people. Until nowadays, the feminism is still in the process of development and there are still many problems having to be solved. 2.2. The influence of the writer Jane Austen herself to the marriage view in the book Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen, the writer of the novel Pride and Prejudice, is a typical example who is the sacrifice of pressure from social background to marriage. Austen loves writing since she is young and she often writes some short passage to read to others. She is a little proud before her meeting to Lefroy because Lefroy says that her eyesight is not broad enough so her works are also boring as well as lack of deep meaning. However, after gradual knowing to each other, they fall in love with each other. Their love is not allowed by Lefroys uncle, but his uncle is the guardian and he says that he would give him all his fortune only if he marries an acceptable woman. The condition of being acceptable is the family background-fortune and position while Austen is only a common woman in town with not much money, no position and no heritage, so his uncle certainly does not agree on their love and marriage. Lefroy is required by his uncle to go back home and is engaged to a wealthy woman. Austen is very sad at that time but as a woman, she can do nothing to change this situation. Meanwhile, a rich local minister loves Austen and he proposes to Austen even though his mother does not like Austen for her family background. After Lefroys leaving, Austen accepts the ministers engagement. No long time after that, Austen sees Lefroy again because Lefroy escapes from his marriage and disobeys his uncles plan. Then Lefroys uncle says that his heritage would not be given to Lefroy, not even one penny. Austen is very happy and excited that Lefroy is willing to elope with her, and she is willing, too. In her mind, elopement is a kind of expression of true love and against social bondage. However, she finally gives up because she sees Lefroys letters from his family and she knows that Lefroy has to get the money from his uncle in that he has to bring up his brothers and sisters and he uses pin money from his uncle to raise his brothers and sisters. She thinks that she is selfish if she just goes away with Lefroy because that means cutting down the financial income of Lefroys, which he uses to take care his brothers and sisters. Not only from her book Pride and Prejudice, but also the love story of herself, the pursuing of true love and marriage without any material bound, and feminism are expressed clearly. She combines the unequal treatment and feminism idea which can be seen everywhere in social reality as well as common wish to happy ending to her book and the description of several different kinds of marriage to express how love is important in marriage and the balance of other factors. At the same time, Making Elizabeth as the heroine in the book obviously shows the theme from one clear aspect. Thats why American critic Edmond Wilson says, the Britain had ever had several revolution in theme and style and the literal taste truly affects the reputation of almost every writer, but only Shakespeare and Jane Austen are keeping popular. and why Virginia Woolf says, her greatness is the most difficult to catch among all the writers.3. The development and influence of feminism at that time both in the book and society3.1. The development of feminism at that era in the societyIn the 17th century, the feminism thought had been appeared. Some female pioneers started to write books and publish articles to call on people to realize womans rights and wanted to improve womans social position. They even set up schools for girls to teach girls advanced knowledge and spread the feminism thought. In the late 18th century, the private schools for girls in middle class had great development; the knowledge spreading covered more female people. However, many of these schools paid most attention to educate these middle class girls how to be elegant and courteous, which just made preparation for their marriage.In the 19th century, females desire to equal rights had become more and more obvious. Marion Reid was a distinct representative. Reid thought that education for girls at that time limited the creation of female and females thinking ability cannot be expressed. The education at that time for girls just made girls as robots to receive rigid knowledge without any consideration.In the late 19th century, the development had not just been expressed via writing and paper. Real feminism campaign had started. They set up organizations to gather partners to fight for female together. They tried to start high school for girls and negotiate with famous schools to give chances to girls by examination like male. At the same time, they encouraged woman to find jobs to realize their dream and provided professional skill training for girls so that they can have the ability and good chance to get a job.3.2. The influence of feminism thought to characters in the bookIn the book Pride and prejudice, the pride and prejudice are the gap between Darcy and Elizabeth. Darcys pride leads to the prejudice of Elizabeth and her refusal to his proposing. With the development of feminism and the feminism campaign, the marriage view of woman at that time has some changes. For the main character Elizabeth, material condition is not the most important factor to consider when it comes to marriage. For her, love and appreciation are more important than material condition but this does not mean that material condition is not considered, just not as important as love. Meanwhile, Darcy is so pride and impolite to her, and with the bad comments from other people, so Elizabeth dislikes Darcy. For Darcy, his pride is based on his material condition and social position. Because of the traditional social background, he has the right and ability to be proud, this is commonly accepted, so his marriage view is that pretty appearance is also important, and the good characteristic is also quite important as well as love, but material condition is also important at that time.When he proposes to Elizabeth, he expresses his heart to Elizabeth, and he is not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. He dislikes her family, her inferiority because he thinks that her condition is not good enough to match him. He expresses his love to Elizabeth, as well as his worry. He is quite upset because of her refusal, but his appearance shows his real confidence of her acceptability. From Darcys point of view, what he says are all true and he just says them directly. Theres no fault. However, for Elizabeth, she says “It is natural that obligation should be felt, and if I could feel gratitude, I would now thank you. But I cannotI have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly.” Although what Darcy says is true, it is quite impolite to express this material condition so clearly. Then how he behaves means impolite for Elizabeth. The pride in the book not only leads to the prejudice and misunderstanding of Elizabeth, but also leads to the c