分析《傲慢与偏见》中四种不同婚姻的形成

毕业论文题目：分析《傲慢与偏见》中四种不同婚姻的形成Title: Analyze the Formation of Four Different Marriages in Pride andPrejudice2009 年5 月25 日AcknowledgementsI’m so excited to present this thesis to you. I had so much gain in half-yearly writing. Thank you to everyone who helps me and my thesis.Thank you to my mother and father. You’re the best parents in the world. Thanks for all of your love and support during my life. And thanks for the great meals.Thank you to Mrs. Han. You’re one of the teachers I know in school who is really sincere, earnest and beautiful. Thanks for your suggestion, instruction and encouragement. And thanks for putting up with my calls at inconvenient time for you. I’m really happy I got a chance to work together with you revising and editing on this thesis.To all my friends, teachers and authors, thank you for all that you have done for me. I’m appreciative of all that I have learned from you.I couldn’t have done it without any of you.Thank you !AbstractPride and Prejudice, originally titled First Impressions, which is written by fresh and refinement witty language, tortuous plot, and full of drama color. It’s the most popular work of Jane Austen’s works. The work bases on the marriage experience of Bennet’s several daughters, and the main plot lines in Elizabeth and Darcy’s emotional experience. It displays the marital status of British social noble estate in the later 18th century. The thesis discusses the formation of four different marriages --- sex desire marriage, material marriage, moral marriage and perfect marriage in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The analysis is that one’s character influenced the formation of marriages and the social issues have a restrictive effect on them. It attempts to use the four marriages to show us that the harmonious marriage is the combination of physical life and mental life. Love, money, status and knowledge are the four important cause of happiness.Key words: marriage; love; money; social issue;摘要《傲慢与偏见》原名为《最初的印象》。

小说语言清新洗练，风趣机智，情节曲折有致，极富戏剧色彩，是简·奥斯丁的小说中最流行、最受欢迎的一本。

作品以贝内特几个女儿的婚姻经历为基点，以伊丽莎白与达西的感情经历为情节主线，展示了十八世纪中后期英国社会贵族阶层的婚姻状况。

本论文通过论述简·奥斯丁的《傲慢与偏见》中四种不同的婚姻形式，介绍了四种婚姻——性欲婚姻，物质婚姻，道德婚姻和完美婚姻。

分析得出一个人的性格影响着他对婚姻的看法，以及社会环境对婚姻形成有着制约作用。

本文试图利用四种婚姻来说明美满的婚姻是物质生活和精神生活完美的结合。

爱情，金钱，地位，学识可谓幸福的四大要素。

关键词：婚姻；爱情；金钱；社会问题；ContentsIntroduction (1)I.Sex Desire Marriage (2)1.1The Stor y of Wickham and Lydia’s Marriage (2)1.2Their Marriage Only Has Passion (2)1.3Analyze the Character Feature of Wickham and Lydia (3)1.4Social Background Behind Their Marriage (4)II.Material Marriage (5)2.1The S tory of Collins and Charlotte’s Marriage (5)2.2Their Marriage Has Little Affection but No Passion (5)2.3Analyze the Character Feature of Collins and Charlotte (5)2.4Social Background Behind Their Marriage (6)III.Moral Marriage (7)3.1The S tory of Bingley and Jane’s Marriage (7)3.2Their Marriage Has Genuine Affection and Respect (7)3.3Analyze the Character Feature of Bingley and Jane (7)3.4Social Background Behind Their Marriage (8)IV.Perfect Marriage (9)4.1The S tory of Darcy and Elizabeth’s Marriage (9)4.2Their Marriage Has Passion, Affection and Respect (10)4.3Analyze the Character Feature of Darcy and Elizabeth (10)4.4Social Background Behind Their Marriage (11)Conclusion (12)Bibliography (13)IntroductionJane Austen was a realistic writer of the 18th century, but she lived mainly in the 19th century. In her lifelong career, Jane Austen wrote altogether six complete novels. Stories of love and marriage are the major themes in all these novels although she never married. Therein, Pride and Prejudice is the most successful and popular of her novels. The work bases on the marriage experience of Bennet’s several daughters and the main plot lines in Elizabeth and Darcy’s emotional experience. It displays the marital status of British social noble estate in the later 18th century, which is great attraction to many readers.Man’s motive for choosing mate determines his criterion for choosing mate. So, different motives bring different criteria for man to choosing different mate. The natural property of marriage decides that people need to consider economy, health, social status, morality and religious when they are choosing mate. However, when people are choosing mate, they may have many motivations instead of having only one motivation due to the influence of social property. The distinctions are people’s differing emphasizes and just because of the difference of emphasizes cause the existence of different marriages.Therefore, my thesis will put the four types of marriages in Pride and Prejudice on a broad background to analyze the formation of the marriages.I. Sex Desire Marriage1.1T he S tory of Wickham and Lydia’s MarriageIn Pride and Prejudice, Lydia and Wickham’s marriage is the most absurd one. The author did not even have a positive account of how they are together, and then elope. Just simply through Jane and Aunt Gardner’s letter to Elizabeth give readers an understanding of the probable situation about them.Before elope with Lydia, Wickham’s charming appearance attracts Elizabeth initially, but soon he changed his affection to the wealthy Miss King for her ten thousand pounds. Wickham’s elopement with Lydia is very sudden. They elope from Brighton without any engagement and are found out in London. Though under such circumstances, Wickham has no intention to marry Lydia. So, Darcy paid off Wickham’s debts and bought him a job. It finally gets the Wickham and Lydia’s marriage.1.2T heir Marriage Only Has PassionWickham’s elopement with Lydia is very sudden.It really leaves us many rooms to think his real motivation. From the book, we know Wickham is a dissolute man who never stops seeking sexual passion. He has no intention to marry Lydia even though they are in elopement. Lydia happened to be a frivolous girl. She only enchanted by Wickham’s charming appearance, see nothing of his real intention and personality. She doesn’t care whether Wickham will marry her or not. Wickham elopes with Lydia is to flee his creditors rather than affection to Lydia. And he is paid to marry her. So it is hard to say they have affection to each other. Their marriage only has passion.1.3A nalyze the Character Feature of Wickham and LydiaWickham is a handsome officer. His charming appearance and pleasant manner enchant all the people at first. Elizabeth once thought he was the most charming man she had met. However, it is soon known that his character, on the contrary, was mean and cunning. AfterDarcy’s revelation about Wickham’s disreputable past, we can clearly to see he is a liar. He is extravagant always and greatly in debts and regards love as a tool to acquire wealth.Lydia is the youngest Bennet daughter, aged fifteen. She is described as silly and empty-minded. She actually thinks her sister should be jealous of her marriage. Lydia’s mother has brought her into public at an early age, which made her became frivolous. Her main interest in life is socializing, especially flirting with red-coated officials. Lydia never stops seeking her own fun and sexual excitement. She never gives love as a serious consideration.1.4S ocial Background Behind Their MarriageOn one hand, Wickham and Lydia’s marriage must be a good example to illustrate that money is of overwhelming importance in marriage in 18th century.As a lower middle classes, Wickham only has limited income. Affection for him would be a tool to acquire wealth. For example, his affection to Miss Darcy and Miss King.“He ( Wickham ) was doubtless most interested in my sister’s (Miss Darcy ) fortune, which is thirty thousand pounds...”“He ( Wickham ) had transferred his affections to a Miss King, who had recently inherited ten thousand pounds.”What’s more, Wickham still hopes to acquire wealth by marriage in other country even though he elopes with Lydia. But for Darcy’s help, Wickham will never marry Lydia.“ Mr. Darcy asked him why he had not married your sister at once? Though Mr. Bennet was not imagined to be very rich, he would have been able to do something for him, and his situation must have been benefited by marriage. But he found, in reply to this question, that Wickham still cherish the hope of more effectually making his fortune by marriage in some other county. Under such circumstances, however, he was not likely to be proof against the temptation of immediate relief. They met several times, for there was much to be discussed. Wickham, of course, wanted more than he could get, but at length was reduced to be reasonable.”We can also see that money is important for one in that society from Mrs Gardiner’s speak.“But I must warn you not to get seriously involved with him. I admit he’s a most interesting young man, but sadly he has no fortune. You are a sensible girl, and must realize that you would disappoint your father by agreeing to marry a penniless young man.”On the other hand, Wickham and Lydia’s marriage fit Austen’s idea of mores. Marriage is the best way for women to avoid public scorn and living with a man without marriage may ruins a girl in English society of that period. Just like Elizabth declares that if Lydia does not marry Wickham she is lost forever. So to ensure her daughter’s marriage, Mr. Bennet promises to give a lot of money to them. Wickham and Lydia’s marriage finally calms down the dissatisfaction in the society.II. Material Marriage2.1 The S tory of Collins and Charlotte’s MarriageThe first marriage presented to us is the marriage of Collins and Charlotte. To begin with, Collins made up his mind to marry one of the daughters of Mr. Bennet. At first, he intends to marry Jane, but when Mrs. Bennet hints that Jane may soon be engaged, he changes to Elizabeth. Soon he proposed to Elizabeth and failed at last. Having been refused by Elizabeth, Mr. Collins is never sad at all. By the encouragement of Charlotte, Mr. Collins marries her.2.2 Their Marriage Has Little Affection but No PassionCollins and Charlotte’s attitudes towards marriage decided they marry in such a short period of time. Collins thinks it is right for a clergyman to set example of marriage and the marriage will add to his happiness. What’s more, Lady Catherine has advised him to marry. So Collins wants a marriage. Charlotte does not view love as the most important component of a marriage. She is more interested in having a comfortable home.“ I ask only a comfortable home...I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.”Those are their ideas of marriage, which account for their quick marriage. They all don’t need passion and love. So they turn their material marriage into reality.2.3 Analyze the Character Feature of Collins and CharlotteCollins is the cousin of Mr.Bennet, and will inherit his property. He is a clergyman under the patronage of Lady Catherine de Burgh. He seldom opens his mouth without mentioning Lady Catherine. Collins’ servile and obsequious character made him felt greatly flattered only by Lady Catherine visit in his humble parsonage. And it’s also lead to his quick marriage with Charlotte.“ ...dear cousin, that you do not intend to refuse me for long. My situation in life, my connections with the de Bourgh family, and my relationship to you own, all make my proposal a very suitable one.”When we read Collins’ foolish proposal to Elizabeth and his letter to Mr.Bennet. It’s not hard to find he is a vulgar, pompous and self-conceit man.“As a clergyman...I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace on all families within the reach of my influence...I flatter myself that I am acting correctly in offering you my friendship.”Charlotte is Elizabeth’s dear friend. She is already 27 and is not good-looking. She has her own ideas and thinks independently. For example, when everyone considers Darcy to be too arrogant to be liked by anybody, Charlotte holds the view that he has the right to be pride of himself as he is handsome, has good personality and most importantly, he has large property. But she is a realist. She treats material more important than anything else. She is so sensible that she knows she can get large property and high social status and the sense of establishment through her marriage. So when Collins proposes, she accepts quickly.2.4 Social Background Behind Their MarriageProperty is a very important factor in Jane Austen's time. Only young women with beautiful appearance and good family background can they have lots of opportunities to get a satisfactory marriage. But the only thing a young woman without good appearance and property could do is to marrying a man with good fortune. As for Charlotte, she is already 27 and is not good-looking. What is worse, she does not own large property, and then the only way out for her is to marry a suitable man to secure her rest life.Therefore, considering Mr. Collins' social status and his property, anyone who marries him is sure to secure her living and can live a luxurious life. When Mr. Collins proposed to Charlotte, Charlotte accepted without hesitation. Her choice conforms to the social trend. There marriage will be easily accepted by women in Austen’s time.III. Moral Marriage3.1 The S tory of Bingley and Jane’s MarriageBingley falls in love with Jane at their first ball and their romance flourishes quietly and steadily. When their romance went smoothly, his suddenly departed from Jane nearly ends their love. The cause of his departure was caused by his relationship with Darcy. Darcy think that Bingley’s affection to Jane was obvious, however he saw Jane liked Bingley, but he did not think she love him, therefore he made great efforts to separated Bingley from Jane. So Bingley began to doubt Jane’s affection to him, he left her without saying goodbye. Later, when all misunderstanding clarified he comes back to Jane at Darcy’s assistance.3.2 Their Marriage Has Genuine Affection and RespectBingley and Jane have many similarities in character that they can describe together: both are cheerful, friendly, and good-natured, always ready to think the best of others. This is the main reason to the success of their marriage. According to the relationship between Bingley and Jane, love and similar interests are the basic factors of a successful and happy marriage. With many similarities in character, people can understand each other easily. Most important of all, the couple with similar interests can live together with a happy life, because there are understandings, helps and supporting between them. But this marriage is mildly dull.3.3 Analyze the Character Feature of Bingley and JaneBingley has a pleasant appearance and unaffected manners. He is a friendly young man who is easy to approach and admired by all. He doesn’t mind the lower classes of Jane and her family. His affection towards Jane is obviously sincere. When Jane suffered an illness his anxiety and attention to Jane is evident. We can feel Bingley’s real concern and affection towards Jane from these details. But Bingley lacks strength and independence in his marriage. He allows Darcy to sway him into leaving Netherfield by saying Jane is indifferent to him.H is sudden departure nearly ends his love. Bingley’s indecisive character determine s that his happiness is controlled by others.Jane is the eldest Bennet daughter and is considered quite pretty by all. She is a kind and mild girl with introverted character. In her eyes, everybody is perfect. She never saw the ugly fact of life even she was deceived.“ Oh, You ( Jane ) are a great deal too apt you know, to like people in general, you never see a fault in anybody, all the world are too good and agreeable in your eyes. I ( Elizabeth ) never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life.”As an introverted girl, she is constant in her love but lacks strength and self-confidence. She love Bingley very much, but she doesn’t want others to know her love to him. This nearly consumed her happiness.3.4 Social Background Behind Their Marriage“ It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”This is the opening sentence of the novel.In fact, it is a common phenomenon in Auste n’s time that a wealthy, single man must be in need of a wife and a single woman must be in wait of a husband, especially a wealthy one. As we all know, Bingley is exactly a wealthy and single man. Jane is just the single woman.Their marriage is entirely consistent with the ceremony, and is a bourgeois freedom of choice, is a model of marriage with love.IV. Perfect Marriage4.1 The S tory of Darcy and Elizabeth’s MarriageDarcy and Elizabeth were meeting in the first ball in Netherfield. But their first impression of each other was not so good. Elizabeth thought Darcy had nothing but arrogant despite he was a noble. Over following weeks, Darcy was attracted by Elizabeth’s charming character. He proposed to her, but Elizabeth turned him down for his arrogant and conceit. After that, Darcy didn’t give up and took her reproofs to heart and tried to change. He wrote a letter explaining his past conducts to Elizabeth.“ I have been a selfish being all my life in practice, though not in principle. As I child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principle, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately an only son ( for many years an only child ) I was spoiled by my parents, who though good themselves ( my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable ), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing, to care for none beyond my own family circle, to think meanly of all the rest of the world, to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was from eight to eight and twenty, and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a women worthy of being pleased."This letter let Elizabeth to know her prejudice caused her to mistake Darcy’s real character. Finally, Elizabeth accepted a perfect-going Darcy. They found happiness and a better understanding of each other.4.2 Their Marriage Has Passion, Affection and RespectIn Pride and Prejudice, Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage is considered as the most perfect one, for their marriage is based on their true love.Darcy’s high birth and wealth makes him overly conscious of his social status. But after Elizabeth’s rejection of his proposal, he soon makes a change of himself. In order todemonstrate his continued affection to Elizabeth, he rescues Lydia and the Bennet family from shame and goes against the wishes of his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Darcy proves himself worthy of Elizabeth and Elizabeth finally realizes the error of her initial prejudice against him.Elizabeth accepts Darcy, for she falls in love with the perfect-going Darcy rather than his fame nor fortune. In other words, if Darcy was still proud and didn’t change himself, Elizabeth would reject him too.4.3 Analyze the Character Feature of Darcy and ElizabethDarcy first appears to us as a handsome but very proud person. He grows up in a wealthy and well-established family, which makes him pride and conceited. We can see his arrogant and impertinent character from his proposal to Elizabeth. Actually, Darcy is a honest and good man. He is constant in his love and willing to make sacrifice for his lover. His true love to Elizabeth leads to his first proposal to her regardless of her family and her lower position. After Elizabeth’s refusal of him, Darcy acts like a real gentleman, he asks Elizabeth to forgive him for having taken up so much of her time, and accept his best wishes for her health and happiness and decides to make a change of himself. His true love to Elizabeth also let he did his utmost to rescue Wickham and Lydia from their trouble. We can get a better understanding of Darcy’s decent character through Lydia and Wickham’s case. He had deep aversion to Wickham for he had nearly ruined his sister. However, his affection for Elizabeth outweighed anything else.Elizabeth, the protagonist of the novel, is an intelligent and witted girl. Her admirable qualities are numerous. She is lovely, clever, honesty, humorous, perceptive and brave in love. Her intelligence, bravery and discretion in love let her to refuse Collins’ firs t proposal against her mother’s will. She is sensible, valued true love as something noble and lofty, but never trade self-respect with love, never trade money with love. Her refusal of Collins’ pompous proposal is a mirror, which reflects her perception and character, and her attitudes towards love. However, her self-respect and prejudice leads to her refusal of Darcy’s proposal. As a matter of fact, her harsh refusal of Darcy’s p roposal increased his affection instead of reducing his passion. We can also see Elizabeth has a strong sense of personality and dignityfrom the Lady Catherine’s visit. She does not knuckle under the Lady Catherine’s bullying and bravely refused to promise not to marry Darcy.4.4 Social Background Behind Their MarriageDarcy and Elizabeth’s marriage reflects a social phenomenon in the 18th century--- people always have a strong awareness of class and social status in mind.“This awareness colors the attitudes that characters of different social status feel toward one another. This awareness cuts both ways: as Darcy and Elizabeth demonstrate, the well-born and the socially inferior prove equally like to harbor prejudices that blind them to others true natures.”Darcy has grown up in the surroundings with strong awareness of class and social status, so he is always conceit and arrogant, and he has a critical look at each individual, except the family members, he is not concerned about anyone else, and looks down upon anyone else. Therefore, even he is irresistible to the flooding feelings, and proposes to Elizabeth, he still remembers the gap between them. In fact both Darcy and Elizabeth are extremely sensitive to the social status. Different from Darcy, Elizabeth doesn’t have superiority about her family background and status. Inst ead, she feels deeply ashamed for her sister’s badly behaved and her mother's rudeness and stupidity.Through the Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriages, Austen shows the power of love and happiness to overcome class boundaries and prejudices, also hinting that such awareness of class and social status are hollow, cruel and unproductive.ConclusionAt last, it is clearly to see what makes the four marriages formed. The four couples, varied in their characters, presented us with four different distinct marriages. The combination of dissolute Wickham and empty-minded Lydia results in a sex desire marriage. Their marriage only has passion but no affection, it’s unsuccessful. The combination of vulgar Collins and sensible Charlotte results in a material marriage. Their marriage is very bald but successful.The combination of friendly Bingley and mild Jane results in a moral marriage. Their marriage shows us a real marriage but not an ideal one. The combination of honest Darcy and intelligent Elizabeth results in a perfect marriage. Their marriage has passion, affection, respect and fortune. It’s the most successful marriage and also fits Jane Austen’s idea of perfect marriage. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen tries to say that it is wrong to marry for material wealth and social position or just for beauty and passion, but it is also wrong to marry without it. She thinks people should marry for the love with a consideration of the partner’s personal merit as well as his economical and social status. So, we can come to the conclusion that the harmonious marriage is the combination of physical life and mental life. 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