On Marriage in Pride and Prejudice.docx

On Marriage in Pride and Prejudice.docx

《On Marriage in Pride and Prejudice.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《On Marriage in Pride and Prejudice.docx（13页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

OnMarriageinPrideandPrejudice

OnMarriagesinPrideandPrejudice

Ⅰ.Introduction

JaneAusten,apeerlessandimportantwriterinthehistoryofEnglishliterature,combinedthetraditionofrealismof18thcenturytogetherwiththeupsurgeoftherealisticnovelofthe19thcentury.ShewasbornatSteventononDecember16,1775,theyoungestofsevenchildren.Althoughherlifewasquiteanduneventful,itsuppliedherwithmaterialforhalfadozennovelsasperfectoftheirkindasanyinthelanguage.

WhilethetroopofNapoleonwascrossingallovertheEuropeancontinent,wecanhardlyfeelanyflatusofthewarinAusten’snovels,butseeagroupofmiddle-classwhowerechattingandlaughingidly.

“MissAustenneverattemptstodescribeasceneoraclassofsocietywithwhichshewasnotherselfthoroughlyacquired.Theconversationsofladieswithladies,orofladiesandgentlementogether,aregiven,butnoinstanceoccursofasceneinwhichmenonlyarepresent.Theuniformqualityofherworkisonemostremarkablepointtobeobservedinit.Letavolumebeopenedatanyplace:

thereisthesamegoodEnglish,thesamerefinedstyle,thesamesimplicityandtruth.Thereisneveranydeviationintotheunnaturalorexaggerated;andhowworthyofallloveandrespectisthefinelydisciplinedgeniuswhichrejectstheforciblebuttransientmodesofstimulatinginterestwhichcansoeasilybeemployedwhendesired,andwhichknowshowtotrusttobenever-fallingprinciplesofhumannature!

”

（1）Andherworkwaspraisedasabroadcanvasinanarrowcasement.

PrideandPrejudice,publishedin1813,isJaneAusten’searliestwork,it’sverypopularandhasbeenreadwidelyallovertheworldfornearlytwohundredyears.Austenbeganwritingthenovelin1796attheageoftwenty-one,underthetitleFirstImpression.Theoriginalversionofthenovelwasintheformoftheexchangeofletters.BydescribingdifferentmarriagesinPrideandPrejudice,JaneAustenexpressedherviewthatthedifferentwaysinwhichtheyoungladiestreatedtheirmarriagesreflecttheirattitudestowardslove.Itmainlydelineatesfourmarriages:

Elizabeth-Darcy,Jane-Bingley,Charlotte-CollinsandLydia-Wickhame.ThecoreplotistheloveandmarriagebetweenElizabethandDarcy.

InPrideandPrejudice,wecanalwaysseecountrysquire’sleisurelylifewithcalls,walks,picnics,conversations,parties,ballsandmarriages.AndAustenfilledherworkwiththoughtsofmarriageandherunderstandingofasuccessfulmarriage.Shethoughtthemarriageonlyforpossessionandsocialstatusissenseless,butalsofoolishtoignorethoseelements.Therefore,shewasagainstthefortune-orientedmarriageandontheotherhand,shealsodisapprovedtotakemarriageasaplaygame.Sheemphasizedontheimportanceofanidealmarriageandconsideredloveasthefoundationofanidealmarriage.

Ⅱ.FourMarriagesinPrideandPrejudice

Mr.andMrs.Bennethavefivedaughters,livingatLongbourn.Mr.Bennet’spropertyconsistsalmostentirelyinanestateoftwothousandpoundsayear,which,unfortunatelyforhisdaughters,isentailedbyCollins.Thatmeanstherewillbenootherguaranteefortheirdaughters’futurelives,buttheirrespectivemarriages.Therefore,itisnowonderthatMrs.BennettakesMr.Bingleyas“therightfulproperty”fortheirdaughterswhenshehearsaboutthathehasonehundredthousandpoundsproperty,thoughshehasnotevenseenhim.Maybeinhereyes,Bingleyislikelargefortuneratherthanaman.Thatisthebeginningofthenovel.

AstheseconddaughteroftheLongbornBennets,Elizabethisanintelligentandsensiblegirlwhoisalsoself-dignifiedandpronetohastyjudgements.Shevaluesone’scharacterbutnotthepropertyandstatusandnevertradeself-esteemandmoneywithlove.Darcy,agoodmanofintegritywithproudappearance,istheownerofPemberley.He’sinvitedbyhisfriendBingleytotheballinNetherfield,and“soondrawtheattentionoftheroombyhisfine,tallperson,handsomefeature,noblemien.”

（2）Heisalwaysbeingpridetotheothers,andnoteasytogetalongwith.“Hewasatthesametimehaughty,reserved,andfastidious,andhismanners,thoughwellbredwerenotinviting.”（3）ElizabethshowsherselfwhenshemeetsDarcy;sheneverfeelsself-contemptforherlowerstatus.ItwasjustherintelligenceanddispositionthatattractsDarcy.

Atthesametime,Elizabeth’ssisterJaneandtheyounggentlemanBingley’sloveisalsoonitsway.Bingleyisacordialandsimpleyoungman.Wecanfindthatheisagreeablebothinappearanceandcharacter.InthefirstballatNetherfield,wecouldmakeacquaintanceofhispersonalitythroughhisbehavior.“Mr.Bingleyhadsoonmadehimselfacquaintedwithalltheprincipalpeopleintheroom,hewaslivelyandunreserved,dancedeverydance,wasangrythattheballclosedsoearly,andtalkedofgivingonehimselfatNetherfield.Suchamiablequalitiesmustspeakforthemselves.”（4）Janeisakindandmildgirlwithintroverteddisposition.Theylovewitheachotherattheirfirstsight,andseemtobeengaged.Butactuallytherearegreatdifficultiesinfrontofthem;themostfundamentalonesaretheirdisparatestatusandproperty.AlthoughBingleyhimselfdoesnottakethe“background”soseriously,hisrelativesandfriendsallgreatlyrejectssuchamarriage,andhissisterandDarcystopBingleyinLondon.WhatcausesDarcytodosoisoutof“prideandprejudice”.DarcyseesthatJanelikesBingley,buthedoesn’tbelievehertobeinlove,andthereforeliabletobeinjuredexceptinaworldlysensebyBingley’swithdrawal.WecanseethispointfromhislettertoElizabeth:

“Her（Jane）lookandmannerswereopen,cheerfulandengagingasever,butwithoutanysymptomofpeculiarregard,andIremainedconvincedfromtheevening,thatthoughshereceivedhisattentionswithpleasure,shedidnotinvitethembyanyparticipationofsentiment.”（5）Andhebelieves“howeveramiablehertemper,herheartwasnotlikelytobeeasilytouched.”（6）WhileDarcylearnsJane’strueloveandallmisunderstandingsareclarified,BingleycomesbacktoJaneatDarcy’sassistance.Allbytheirefforts,themarriagewhichdefeatssocialprejudiceatlastcomestobesuccessful.“Elizabethreallybelievedallhis（Bingley’s）expectationsoffelicitytoberationallyfounded,becausetheyhadforbasistheexcellentunderstanding,andsuper-excellentdispositionofJane,andageneralsimilarityoffeelingandtastebetweenherandhimself.”（7）

ThenIwillintroducetheothertwomarriages,Charlotte-CollinsandLydia-Wickhame.TheirmarriagesarevibrantcontrasttoElizabeth-Darcy’s.Collinsisavulgar,pompousandrapaciousmanwhoissubservienttohisparsonessandalwaysarrogantbeforehisinferiors.HeisElizabeth’scousinandwouldinherittheestateofLongbourn,thepropretyofMr.Bennetuponhisdeath.HeintendstogetmarriedmerelybecauseitwastheparticularrecommendationofLadyCatherinedeBourgh.

“Havingnowagoofhouseandverysufficientincome,heintendedtomarry;andinseekingreconciliationwiththeLongbournfamilyhehadawifeinview,ashemeanttochooseoneofthedaughters,ifhefoundthemashandsomeandamiableastheywererepresentedbycommonreport.Thiswashisplanofamends---ofatonement---forinheritingtheirfather’sestate;andhethoughtitanexcellentone,fullofeligibilityandsuitableness,andexcessivelygenerousanddisinterestedonhisownpart.”（8）

Mr.Collinsisnotasensibleman,therespectwhichhefeelsforLadyCatherine’shighrank,andhisvenerationforherashispatroness,minglingwithaverygoodopinionofhimself,ofhisauthorityasaclergyman,andhisrightasarector,makeshimaltogetheramixtureofprideandobsequiousness,self-importantandhumility.MarriagetoCollinsisonly“arightthingforeveryclergymanineasycircumstances”（9）and“itistheparticularadviceandrecommendationoftheverynoblelady.”（10）Wecanseeitinhisswiftchangeinhischoiceofchoosingawife.HismarriagewithCharlottebasesonsoleandnakedmoney-transaction.Facingsuchaperson,Charlottedoesn’trefusehim,butmakeshimtoproposetoherinaday’stime.Elizabethisastonishedandsorryforherbestfriend.ShebelievesthatsuchamarriagecouldnotbringhappinessforCharlotte.ButinCharlotte’seyes,“Happinessinmarriageisentirelyamatterofchance.Ifthedispositionsofthepartiesareeversowellknowntoeachother,oreversosimilarbeforehand,itdoesn’tadvancetheirfelicityintheleast.Theyalwayscontrivetogrowsufficientlyunlikeafterwardstohavetheirshareofvexation;anditisbettertoknowaslittleaspossibleofthedefectsofthepersonwithwhomyouaretopassyourlife.”（11）ItreflectsherideaofmarriagethatsheacceptsCollinssolelyfromthepureanddisinteresteddesireofanestablishment.Toher,marriageisneitheranewstartingtobeginwithherhusbandnortheresultoflove,butatransaction.Andit’seasyforustoimaginewhattheirmarriageandlifewillturnouttobeinthefuture.

ThedelineationofLydiaandWickhameshowsusasex-orientedmarriage.Wickhamefirstappearsusaverycharmingfellow.Butindeedheisadissoluteandcunningvillainwhoischangeableinhisloveandcrazyaboutmoney.Atfirst,hecheatsDarcy’ssistertoelopewithhiminordertogetmoney.AndwhenhemeetsElizabeth,hisconstantattentionmakesherfeelsurethatsheisinlovewithhim.ButElizabethisnotwealthyenoughwhichcausedthetransferofhislovefrompoorElizabethtowealthMiss.King.Miss.Kingthenrefuseshimandattimesheisindebt.Inordertofleehiscreditors,heleavesandelopeswithLydia.Lydiaisavacant-mind