We have a special blog post this week! Moira and Emily have joined together to look at both the love and the history of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. In this novel, the five Bennet sisters are left with a predicament not uncommon of families of only girls of the time-they must marry in order to inherit the wealth of their father. Thus, the girls set off in search of eligible bachelors and end up tangled in love triangles that keep readers wondering who will end up with who. A brilliant novel filled with timeless characters will leave readers turning page after page of this beautiful classic. So here we go!
Pride and Prejudice’s historical aspects are impeccable. I mean this book is technically written as a present day novel during the period, but it is a joy to relive the days of balls and courtships, formal dinners and dressmakers, and aristocracy and mansions. It really encapsulates the early 19th century life of the upper middle class without shoving it into your face. Austen does a really good job of incorporating you into her world. You leave behind all of your previous notions of what love and life is all about and suddenly find yourself wishing that you too could get a new dress for the ball and dance with some handsome officers. The feminism in the book is also refreshing, while we do see the more stereotypical girl (Lydia) who wants a husband immediately, we also see Elizabeth and her resistance to anything that would limit her freedom (marriage). We see typical arranged or pre-approved marriages and marriages that are based on love, people marrying up in their social class, and the dangers of waiting too long. All of these things can and did happen commonly during this time period. It’s really a joy to peek back at what life was like, especially for women, during Austen’s life.
Within the historical context of the early 19th century, we see what love looked like in terms of marriage. Lydia, enveloped in her youthful fantasies of love, falls head-over-heels for Mr. Wickham. However, these feelings of affection are not reciprocated, and Mr. Wickham marries Lydia solely out of a deal to get his debts paid off. Turning to the love life of Elizabeth, she takes her romantic relationships slower, looking at all sides of what the prospect of marriage could mean. Austen brings forth some important questions about love and marriage that pertain specifically to the historical context. Can there be love within a marriage? Is there a difference between love and affection? The marriages of Lydia and Elizabeth are both marriages of convenience. Even Elizabeth, who seems to have a strong affection for Darcy, never admits to truly loving him.
So lets tie history and love together! Austen is writing her novel in the setting of a time period when love and marriage were changing. Arranged marriages no longer seem the norm, but neither does the idea of marriage for true love. So where does that leave us? Perhaps at a place where marriage was a means of financial security, of raising a family and of keeping the family’s wealth. In order to understand the love aspect of this novel, the history of the time period must first be understood. While love may be timeless, the implications of love and marriage have their set places in history.
With all our love,
Moira and Emily
The Blue Room 