Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Essay Example

Your full Your The 27 June How Does Austen Show the Reader That Virtue Is Necessary for Happiness in Marriage? Jane Austen defines the mood of “Pride and Prejudice” from the first lines making the readers get ready for witty irony. In her times marriage had high importance because women "sold" themselves for better status in the society instead of looking for feelings. The author is challenging such a topic with an effort to attract attention to the virtues that are obligatory for achieving happiness in marriage.

Comparing relationship of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet with the ones of Elizabeth and Darcy, it is evident that they are opposite. Austen shows how permanent feeling can be without foundation: “Respect, esteem, and confidence had vanished for ever; and all his [Mr. Bennets] views of domestic happiness were overthrown” (Austen 358). Mr. Bennet hides behind his irony: “… you [Mrs. Bennet] are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley may like you the best of the party” (Austen 3). At the beginning relationship of Elizabeth, who is as sharp-tongued as her father is, and Darcy also lack respect.

In short, meeting at a ball, she finds him cold, proud and arrogant which she concludes after the refusal to dance: “I could easily forgive HIS pride, if he had not mortified MINE” (Austen 26). Meanwhile, Elizabeth is not good enough for him: “she is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt ME” (Austen 14). Even though some tension appears between them, later it changes. Initially it seems that there are too many gaps between both couples. The most fundamental virtue for any type of relationship is respect but it can be gained in certain situations. Mr. and Mrs.

Bennet failed it: “Your mother will never see you again if you do NOT marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you DO” (Austen 171). At first Lizzy also has little respect to Darcy because of "objections which made him prevent his friends marrying her sister … and the unfeeling manner in which he had mentioned Mr. Wickham, his cruelty towards whom he had not attempted to deny" (Austen 294). But the proposal at Hunsford is a crucial moment of a change in their story because Darcy’s emotions occur to be stronger than his pride, and he takes a chance to explain himself in the letter written for her.

Additionally, Elizabeth’s refusal awakes humility in him and makes him get sure that she is not hunting for his money. As a result, they both find compatibility which Lizzys parents lack because Mr. Bennet cares for personalities of her daughters couples more than their financial state that is Mrs. Bennets priority. Furthermore, to build something strong it is not enough to stand each other, there should be readiness to accept each other and to change. As an illustration, Mr. Bennet gets distant from the family and Mrs.

Bennet cares only about her daughters marriages. At the same time, Darcy demonstrates his care by solving a problem of Lydia’s escapes with Mr. Wickham and taking care of Bingley’s meeting with Jane Bennet. Similarly, Lizzy admits her wrong impression about him and the way she is judging people in general. Taking their time, they realize that “it was an union that would have been to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved; and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance” (Austen 471).

To sum it up, each person gets what he or she deserves. It is not enough to cultivate dreams about love, there should be readiness to overcome obstacles and to be flexible, even if it means to accept that some beliefs were wrong. Jane Austen defends the idea of getting married only for sake of love what makes her novel important for all generations as love never "goes out of fashion". Investing into virtues is the most beneficial on the way towards happiness. Works Cited Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice.

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