Abstract: \"Pride and Prejudice\" is considered to be one of the famous novels of Jane Austen,which speaks highly of the female who pursue happiness continuously for their free marriage and true love.The main line of this novel is about complex love between Elizabeth Bennet and other three couples .It shows different attitudes and perceptions of middle-class women towards marriage and destiny.Elizabeth Bennet is the main character and protagonist,we readers can know the concept of marriage in Austen clearly by analyzing the image of Elizabeth.
小说《傲慢与偏见》被认为是作者奥斯丁为讴歌女性追求幸福婚姻的不懈努力而作，以男女之间的爱情纠葛为主线,穿插了几起截然不同的婚姻,揭示了当时中产阶级家庭出身的少女对婚姻问题的不同态度和观念。伊丽莎白是全书的中心人物,通过对她的形象剖析,展示其爱情婚姻历程,同时也折射出作者奥斯丁的婚姻观。
Key words: Elizabeth Jane Austen Darcy characters concept of marriage social environment emotional experience
伊丽莎白 简·奥斯汀 性格特点 婚姻观 社会环境 人物形象 情感经历 达西
First, the image of Elizabeth Bennet is shaped successfully.
1、 Social environment ,where the heroine , Elizabeth is living.
\"Pride and Prejudice,\" which depicts the late 18th and early 19th century in that time British women, whether in economic, social or family status are
dependent on men, with strict social hierarchy and people are faced with marital stress for good match. Elizabeth, who is a young middle-class woman with tiny property, but she is knowageable in that time . The only way to get a happy life and decent status is to marry a good man. As Austen wrote: \"A sigle man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife .’’ In short, marriage is good approach for people to search for economic security and social status. Collins, Elizabeth's cousin, knows that sentence very well,he is well-off but vulgar,he thinks it is beneficial for Elizabeth to marry him.However,after rejected by Elizabeth,Collins turns back to propose to Charlotte,a good friend of Elizabeth,and they get married.
2 、Description of Elizabeth’ personality and their family environment
The center and the focus of \"Pride and Prejudice\" is Elizabeth • Bennett. Elizabeth is an intelligent, honest, attractive,witty, funny and lively and educated young lady,but with a tendency to judge on first impressions and perhaps to be a little selective of the evidence upon which she bases her judgements.. Also,she is a rebellious and independent person, maybe we should say she is the new women. Her family environment is not good, no abundant money, and no officials in her home . Compared with Kosslyn, and Darcy ,her family is very poor .But she does not feel inferior, still bravely pursues her own happiness and true love. Darcy oppses
the
marriage
between
Benley
and
the
older
sister
of
Elizabeth ,Jane ,because of the poor situation in her family. Darcy looked down on Elizabeth at first, also because of her poor position and weak home background. When Mrs Depaul accused Elizabeth that she should not marry Darcy,they do not
match, and Elizabeth was proud to retorted: \"He is a gentleman, and I am the daughter of a gentleman. In this regard, we are in good match.\" In fact, levels of classes and wealth can be equated, because the grade of levels is in accordance with the division of property; If a person owns a large property, he would be respected, and enjoy high social status .
3、The rough road of Elizabeth's marriage
She refused to marry Collins at first, and later she decline the propose of Darcy. She refused to marry him,which fully reflect the concept of her marriage,also including Austen herself : love first! love is foremost! Reverend Mr. Collins is Mr. Bennet’s (Elizabeth's father) capable nephew,and he is also the heir of Mr. Bennett. However,he is a vain, humble, stupid man, and he is good at currying favor with the powerful villain.Having got the appreciation of Mrs Catherine De Bauer,and he also fortunately got a lucrative job as a priest in one parish, which makes him become more and more arrogant, apretentious. He thinks it is too easy to get marry with the daughter of Bennet ,because he takes posission of high social status and great property.He took a fancy to the second daughter, Elizabeth Bennet, Although he realizes the touchings things in Elizabeth,there is a weakness that can not compare with him,she does not have too much money and high status . Therefore,after analyzing of their strengths and weakness of each other, Collins strongly believes his proposal will certainly be successful, and there will not be another person who wants to marry her. But out of his
expectation,Elizabeth firmly rejected his proposal, and clearly told him, \"You can not make me happy, I believe I am the only woman who is unable to make you
happy.\" We can see clearly that material things such as money, social status can not make Elizabeth falls in love with anyone ,because the most important thing in her eyes is true love!The solid condition and basis of marriage is love,and it is reflected thoroughly in the marriage between Darcy and her.
Her love begins when she meets an officer in self-defense group whose name is Wickham.Elizabeth is fascinated immediately by his nice and gentle appearance. And Wickham gets crash on her ,he is gossip,he often says something bad of Darcy to get the love of Elezabeth.He said: \"To be honest, people in Netherfield hate him very much!Except outside people, I go to any nearby people,they might say Darcy is a arrogant man. It is impossible for you to hear a good word about him.” These words was full of flaws, but the witty Elizabeth doesn not find it is wrong to say so .And her nose is completely blinded by love. When she broke up with Wickham, her mind was full of that arrogant man,Wickham.\" In one word , witty Elizabeth is now mocked as \"stupid lady\". This is real portrayal of Elizabeth when she is in true love. After listening to John's slanderous words ,and she heared it was Darcy who make the couple, her sister Jane an Bingley separate.So she thought it was the prejudices that Darcy pressed on her family status,and Darcy wanted to match his sister and Bingley together.She thought he was so selfish and impolite. She deeply criticized Darcy who ruined her sister’s happy life, deprived of the right of Wickham to get a happy life. Darcy's Pride based on his indomitable character,it is because he verbally hurt Elizabeththat caused her prejudice; also due to Elizabeth's self-love has generated her prejudice against Darcy,so Pride and Prejudice have reached the peak. The letter Darcy wrote to Elizabeth greatly chaged her mind,brought a brainstorm to her mind. Darcy admitted in the letter the reason he
made Jane and Bingley break up is that he thoutht it did not exist true love between them;and Wickham's actions was very contemptible, and even he wanted to induce Darcy's sister to elope with him. This letter is like a heavy bomb in Elizabeth’s heart ,blew up all the previous obstacles and ill feelings in her mind .Then Elezabeth seriously and calmly looked at herself again, realizing that \"she was too blind, eccentric, with too much human bias in the past and it was perverse.\" It is Darcy and Wickham’s different attitudes towards her that contributed to her own prejudice and ignorance. The tissue was finally deceived by her new self and new mind . The correct understanding of the new self-help Elizabeth go out of the errors, eliminate the prejudice against Darcy, and Darcy was shocked by the condemnation of Elizabeth,and Darcy formed a new understanding of the behaviour in past.It is so different that when Darcy appeared in front of Elizabeth to make a proposal to her. Elizabeth saw a new Darcy a different Darcy,who was very submissive ,so warm love was added on hime except for respect on him.Then pride became into modest,prejudice became into cordial.The elopement of Elizabeth's sister Lydia and Weiyue Han had subsided because of Darcy’help, but the two are emotionally closer and closer, the sweet tea permeates thick love. The visit of stupid arrogant Lady Catherine not only failed to stop the trend of Elizabeth and Darcy to get married,but as a catalyst for love ,that inspired Darcy to make proposas to Elizabeth for the second time .Characters in common and the mutual appreciation of each other push them into the rational marriage, eventually, Pride and Prejudice changed into a deep sweetness.
4、Elizabeth's concept for marriage and realistic significance
Due to the deviation of self-awareness,there comes out emotional turmoil between Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth has the mind of prejudice because of the wrong awareness to Darcy. It is the understanding of justice that helps Elizabeth to get the real happiness. Both rational choice and strong emotional foundation for love contribute to their happy marriage. We can see the true value of marriage and the pursue for times thoroughly form Elizabeth . The attitudes of Elizabeth towards the proposals of Darcy actually reflect that female put more attention to independence and the pursuit of equal rights. Elizabeth is clever, courageous, visionary, and has a strong sense of self-esteem,which lead to her different thoughts on love and marriage. Only due to her independent and brave personality can Elizabeth get true love and happy marriage.Compared with her sister Lydia,she remains the dignity for human and she gets rid of momentary impulse ,which would lead to wrong dicision.Compared with Charlotte, she did not give up her pursuit of love when she faced with reality. Elizabeth dare to face everything and solve obstacles in her life ,we see the great power of reason,and she bravely defends their pure love and honorable love. What we should admire especially is that she believes it is sincere affection and strong love that contribute to ideal marriage not because of your property ,status and money. It has great progressive significance in that time,because women do not have any status,esteem and property. Marriage is considered as the only way to get respect and status.The spirit of Elizabeth also plays an important role in young people’s life today,we should take example by her ,and should know that happiness can not be measured by money and status and happy marriage should base on true love and strong love ,we can not be blocked by traditional constraints.
Second, Austen's profile, writing features and the concept for marriage
1、The introduction of Jane Austen
Jane Austen,wrote about the people she knew best and move her plots around the intricacies of courtship and marriage between members of the landed gentry.In Austin whole life for 42 years,the marital life is blank.However,she had rich experiences of love. She wrote the blueprint \" First impression\" for \"Pride and Prejudice\she was 21 years old. This year,She fell in love with a young Irish.,but soon the young man left England for Ireland, and married a rich wife there. In 1801 , when She was 26 years old ,she had first sight on a youth in Bath,she put deep love on him,but unfortunately,the youth was died of a serious sudden illness .During the next year, in 1802,she met a 27 year-old man,who was a heir of a large estate,and she refused his proposal after staid consideration. Then,when she was 33, she promised a man’s propose without any result. This emotional process for love of the author ,Jane Austen,it is also reflected clearly in the novel.
2、Concept for marriage and love
In Austen's novels for the ideal marriage, Elizabeth was born in the bourgeois knowledgeable family, and Elizabeth is the favorite character of Austen. Elizabeth is an intelligent, honest, attractive, witty, funny and lively and educated young lady. \"I admit that she was the most lovable character appeared in the literature. I do not agree with anyone who does not like her. I do not agree. \" She said so in the
letter she wrote to her eldly sister. We can see the shadow of Austen form the protagonist of Elizabeth. We can know the Austen’s concept for love and marriage clearly, \" it is wrong to marry for money, and it is stupid that you do not get money when your get married \".The marriage between Elizabeth and Darcy not only contains love but also abundant money. Elizabeth has nothing but elegance, to our surprise, she married to the richest, the most handsome man. Remarke the marriage from her mother’s perspective,the businessman’s view, it is a good trade a beneficial trade; and out of his father’s expectation, the education he gave her ,manifest high value in market. See \"Pride and prejudice\" thoroughly,it can be said that love and marriage is indiscerptible,they should be dealt very well.,love is the most basic condition for happy marriage. Although beauty can give people a good impression, but only with an independent personality and good character can have long-lasting attraction. At that time, money and status play a important role, When we talk about marriage because of the special social status of women. Austin indeed exposed the profound clearly ,marriage is related to property. But this disclosure, in this comic novel ,it is not vicious, not sentimental, not cynical,but it is irony. Irony permeates in the book between the lines in the whole book.,and it plays the key role in shaping the personality of the characters and it is the soul of narrative story.This novel is closely around the actual relationship of people of that time ,not portray the abstact characters.
Third,conclusion
In one word, Austen reveals a common social phenomenonin by shaping the
vivid image of Elizabeth in \"Pride and Prejudice\" successfully.Definitely to say the phenomenon is the middle class and aristocracy want to reach their goal through marriage. As critic David • Marx ,Western Marxism,said, \"Austen is a marxist before the appreance of Marx from the point of her revealing the economic causes of human behavior.\"
References
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