Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice tells a frothy tale of gowns and parties, gossip and confidantes, distaste and love, and, of course, pride and prejudice. One of the major themes that Austen brings up in this surprisingly deep work is that of the importance of love. It is held up above practicality, social etiquette, even familial ties, and shown to be the source of utmost happiness and success. For those who love, who follow their heart recklessly, a happy ending awaits. Take the protagonist, for example. The lovely, spunky, sparkling Elizabeth Bennet refuses two marriage proposals throughout the course of the novel (a shocking and distasteful action for any young lady presented with a practical offer of marriage in that day) because she does not love the men. The marriages are as practical as could be, the proposed union with Mr. Collins providing a secure home and social status for not only Elizabeth but also for her family, and the first, denied offer by Mr. Darcy offering extreme affluence and status. However, Elizabeth recognizes that Collins “could not make [her] happy” and that she is the “last woman in the world who would make [him] so” (93). She claims that she is a “rational creature,” but also that she speaks the “truth from [her] heart” when she rejects him. She is guided by romance, feeling, happiness, and emotion, a stark contrast to her dear friend Charlotte, who marries that same ridiculous Collins, with the reason that marriage “was the only honorable provision for well-educated women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservation from want” (107). Charlotte’s marriage is looked down upon by Elizabeth and, by extension, Austen (and, most likely, the reader, since the reader tends to sympathize with Elizabeth), hinting at a distaste for the pure practicality of many marriages. In contrast, Elizabeth gets a fairy-tale ending, surrounded by those that she loves, far from those she does not, fabulously wealthy, and completely happy. Her marriage is a union of practicality and emotion, the ideal marriage, a victory which proves Austen believed wholeheartedly that those who follow their hearts will achieve their merry end. Regarding the idea that love is placed over social etiquette, Darcy’s marriage to Elizabeth was less than prudent on his part, but he did it for love. Elizabeth’s denial of Collins was entirely socially unacceptable, but she did it for the sake of love. Darcy and Elizabeth’s interactions were entirely awkward and often imprudent, but they acted in their foolish ways because of love (or lack thereof). Furthermore, love is placed above familial ties when Bingley and Jane wed against his sister’s wishes, Darcy weds against his aunt’s wishes, and in spite of Elizabeth’s lackluster family, and Lydia abandons her family for “love” (perhaps not the best support for my argument, since her love was questionable to say the least). I’ll just go ahead and embrace the cliché: Pride and Prejudice claims that love conquers all, and also reveals that it is of utmost importance.
The ideal reader should take this theme to heart, closing the book after reading the last page with a smile on their face and a flutter of hope in their heart for their romantic future. The book champions the idea that love will succeed, even if it falls flat on its face a few times before it even begins the race. Every reader wants a romance like Jane or Elizabeth’s, where the players are attractive and wealthy, amiable and intelligent, and, above all, in deep, head-over-heels love. They overcome troubles, they help each other overcome their own issues, they end up happily married—what isn’t to like? Essentially, the ideal reader should view Jane Austen’s hopeful view of love as an inspiration and an encouragement to encourage the same in their own life. (Ironically, Austen did just this and ended up a spinster. Perhaps we should take her advice with a grain of salt.) Furthermore, it should encourage freedom from social etiquette and the standards we are held to by our peers, from and undesirable ties to others that may inhibit our happiness, and freedom from mundane practicality. At least, this is the way that Austen would have it. As I mentioned earlier (albeit sarcastically), we shouldn’t take this advice in its entirety without some speculation. Reading Pride and Prejudice and deciding to live one’s life just as the characters do in order to achieve the same happy end is equivalent to watching Cinderella and expecting the same fairy tale ending. The tale is just that, a tale. The fact that this is fiction, and not a true-to-life account, means that Austen isn’t necessarily speaking the truth, she is just conveying how she wishes life was. Thus, the “universal reader” should read this text and take away a glimmer of optimism, all the while with the understanding that this isn’t reality, it’s a romance.
Personally, I agree with Jane on this one. I like to believe that I live my life free from societal norms, seeking out happiness and love around every corner and above practicality. It reminds me of the conflict that all people go through when determining the path their future will take: should I choose a job based on the money it will bring in or how happy I will be in it? Honestly, I want to be the person who decides to choose happiness over money. I do understand that affluence can bring a measure of happiness, in the sense that it opens doors for adventure and provides connections, as well as simply makes life easier, but I can’t imagine living out my life going to a job every day that I didn’t love with all my heart and that didn’t make me happy. So, I want to choose love and happiness over practicality, because I believe that love does conquer all, and that it is the best source of joy and fulfillment in this world. Furthermore, on a Christian note, I know that God will provide for me, and thus I need not worry about the material things. As a child of God, my life is about the spiritual and emotional side of things entirely. Okay, I’ve gotten away from myself a bit. I do understand that Jane Austen is talking about interpersonal love, not love for an occupation. But, since marriage was a woman’s job, so to speak, I would want to find love in that “job” if I lived in those days as well.
