Pride and Prejudice Blog 6

Austen’s character development and underlying message throughout the text show that she meant the opening line of the novel to be taken satirically. The variety in character opinions and thoughts on marriage show that Austen is looking to convey that not everyone fits into society’s cookie cutter. The wording of the line suggests that marriage is not about love, but rather more of a statutory requirement like the materialistic idea of the “possession of a good fortune”(5) that precedes it. Marriage after fortune implies that marriage is not about love, but about furthering one’s coordinates on the societal map. The use of hyperbole Austen employs by stating that it is “universally acknowledged” (5), is her way of not only showing the magnitude of marriage’s importance in society, but also drawing one’s attention to how it is often ridiculously pursued and obsessed over.
Had the line been meant to be taken seriously, the men of the novel would have all been married quickly and with the intent of boosting their societal standing. Bingley and Darcy are well taken care of in regard to their fortunes and therefore according to the statement, they should be “in want of a wife” (5). While they are definitely looking to find marriage, they are looking for more as well. Had Bingley been solely focused on marriage, he would have found a desirable partner when he went into the city, however, his quest for love called upon him to wait for Jane. Similarly, in the case of Darcy, love trumped status. Darcy is aware of the societal wall that separates him and Elizabeth as he concedes to having a “sense of her inferiority, of its being degradation, (and) of the family obstacles” (188). Had Austen meant for the opening of the book to be taken literally, the men would have been far shallower as the live suggests the situation of marriage to be.
Marriage is the primary focus in the lives of the townswomen in the novel. Mrs. Bennet’s “business of life was to get her daughters married” (7). Mrs. Bennet obsesses over her daughters and getting them engaged all the while ready to brag to Lady Lucas about anything that happens, suggesting that this obsession goes beyond her frazzled mind and into those of the other women. Austen uses the over the top dramatic character of Mrs. Bennet to display how vital marriage is in that society. The opening line of the book is something that Mrs. Bennet would believe in but its hyperbolic nature makes one see that she can be just as ridiculous. The quote goes on to say that “this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of …one…of their daughters” (5), this further exaggerates the feelings of the families. People did not consider single men to be the property of their daughters, but this satirical exaggeration calls the reader to see just how important marriage is.