Pride And Prejudice: The Regency Love And Marriage

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One of the most famous lines of literature lies in the opening line of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: “It is truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” (Austen 1). This line introduces the reader to what will be the plot and overall theme of not only Pride and Prejudice, but many of Austen’s literary works. During the Regency era, “a single man in possession of a good fortune” (Austen 1), was the pursuit of most women in society as marriage for fortune was the main goal in life. Through her heroines, Jane Austen utilizes the ongoing theme of convenience marriage throughout her many comical, romantic stories to contradict the Regency view on marriage. During this era, …show more content…
The main factor of the “ultimate goal” was that “fortune was of crucial importance” (Olsen 426). Due to the fact that work was not an option for women and they had to rely on their family members, they were to “marry as soon as possible in order to live comfortably” (Hatch and Hayes 134). This created what was known as “marriage of convenience” (Hatch and Hayes 134), where women married with the main focus being financial security or social standings. Regency love and marriage came with an expiration date unless is was accompanied with great wealth. If a woman was past the marriageable age and did not have much money of her own, she was viewed as of little use (Olsen …show more content…
Austen believed in that hidden feelings resulted in false love (McClinton-Temple 196). True love, which Austen exemplified through her heroines, could not be hidden. Unlike many of the relationships in Pride and Prejudice, Jane and Lizzy Bennet find true, sincere love in their husbands that is regardless of their husbands’ money or social standings (McClinton-Temple 192). Austen highlighted true love by directly contradicting Regency love with it in Sense and Sensibility. Marianne Dashwood symbolizes the real love while Elinor represents the more sensible Regency love. The real love that Marianne, Jane, and Lizzy all have in common allow them to have successful, strong
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