How Happiness is Portrayed in 'Pride and Prejudice'

  What are Jane Austen's personal beliefs regarding what makes a person happy in life?

  Austen conveys much more than just what makes a person content through the characters she chooses to portray as 'happy'. Through the happy couples and people in the novel, she explains the importance of money, rank, marriage and respect in both her opinion and society. How a character reacts to their stance in society gives the reader a clear image of their personality, and between the lines, tells us Austen's own view on what gives a person true peace.

  Though, to the unobservant eye, one may conclude the Austen is against Charlotte Lucas' decision to marry Mr Collins. However, what she implies during the course of the novel conveys a different opinion. Quotes such as Charlotte going in 'with her eyes open', or marrying solely 'for worldly gain', imply that Charlotte's decision was one she very consciously made. She knew before agreeing to Mr Collins that he was not her intellectual equal, or even a person she could remotely esteem. Yet, with the prospect of either dying an old maid, with her immediate family as her only companions, or marrying Collins and having her children to love and raise, she very willingly chooses the latter. Through the empowering ability to choose her fate, Charlotte adapts to life at Rosing's Park, and finds true happiness through this power. Such modern, enlightened concepts are not often seen in Austen's writing, and instead of revealing the 'closet feminist' within Austen, conveys her belief in decision equalling power.

  Austen gives several warnings regarding marital affairs through the various relationships characters have with their spouses. She seems to firmly believe that intellectual equality and financial security are the key factors in a marriage- if both of these factors aren't present, the marriage will fail. When asking why Mr and Mrs Bennet's marriage is so unhealthy, the fundamental deciding factor is the difference in their intellects. This same fundamental difference can be seen between Wyckham and Lydia. Wyckham has proven his intelligence and cunning when seeking revenge on Darcy through Elizabeth, while Lydia is portrayed as a foolish flirt of a girl, who has no subtlety in her character. Therefore, Austen describes their attachment as disappointing from the moment it was spawned, and will undoubtedly only lead to heartbreak and loneliness for both parties involved. Later on in the novel, Austen also mentions the couple's money problems, with Lydia even resorting to asking Lizzy and Darcy for money. Austen clearly conveys her thoughts on marriage through the relationships between couples in her novels; a fact which is very true in 'Pride and Prejudice'.



  Similarly, in 'The King's Speech', Hooper has a very specific opinion on what makes a person happy. Many factors are at play in a person's happiness: marriage, wealth, status and family life all have a part in how content a person may be, and Hooper makes his case to us in a very well-rounded, level-headed fashion throughout the course of the text.

  Contrastingly to Austen, Hooper seems to believe that money and wealth is a source of discontent to family life. When Bertie gains more wealth by becoming king, he becomes more distanced from his children, who no longer know how to treat him. However, Lionel's family situation seems to be the ideal to work towards; with no barrier between him and his boys, their enchanting games together and support for each other show how happy the Logues are. Hooper is trying to convey to his audience that money is not a factor in happiness, and that a person can be truly content without a shilling to their name.

Money in Pride and Prejudice

Throughout the entirety of the novel 'Pride and Prejudice' money is constantly a huge factor in the decision making and thought process of the characters.
The opening line of the novel, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife", is an immediate indicator that money is a central theme in this novel. As the rest of the novel progresses we are introduced to each character not by their name but by their income per annum. The first strand of the plot that is introduced is directly linked with money. The arrival of Bingley, a man of 5,000 a year, in Neatherfield is the first advancement of the plot and we see the lust of Ms Bennet for a man of such large wealth. The number one criteria for Ms Bennet in her matchmaking is Money. Money is so important to her as Longbourne is entailed away to Mr Collins. This means that upon the death of Mr Bennet, Ms Bennet and her daughters will be turned out of the house and left without property. The only fix to this inevitability is for the daughters to marry off before the death of there father. For Ms Bennet to uphold her high standard of living she therefore requires her daughters to marry into wealth. The position of women in this society dictates that without the security of marriage they will be bound to a life of a seamstress. The issue of women owning property and money is therefore also prevalent in this novel.
Money is also used to outline the social classes and structures that are clearly evident in this society and this novel. Darcy's wealth immediately puts him above all the other characters and makes him the center of attention as soon as he arrives at the dance. His wealth intimidates a number of characters but Lizzy is not one of these. Lizzy puts her focus more on the personality rather than money. Therefore money as helped create the unique character of Lizzy by separating her from the social norm of distinguishing class and judging the individual by money.

Comparison of the Dysfunctional Families in the Three Comparative Texts

Throughout the "King's Speech", "Pride and Prejudice", and "King Lear", we see the authors and director create scenes and images portraying the highs and lows of the lives of the families, so vividly illustrated in each text. What we in effect get, through the language, imagery and drama

Charlotte's story shows Austen's more pessimistic view of marriage as a business deal. Charlotte marries Mr. Collins for practicality, there is no love between the two. Charlotte is growing older and the increasing risk of her becoming an old maid is daunting. She knows that if she does not marry she will never have her own household and will be living off her brothers for the rest of her life. She is described as plain but has a good personality as Lizzy esteems and respects her as her best friend. She seems to be a smart character. Some could respect her decision to marry Collins as taking control of her life the only way she can. This is a more cynical side to Austen's view on love. It suggests that love is something to come second to money and security. We know that she wrote this first when she was young and went back over it in her thirties. Perhaps this is her view as an older more knowledgeable woman. Charlotte seems content when Lizzy goes to visit her. She manages to keep her husband busy in the garden and with Ms. Catherine de Bourgh in Rosings. She is content without love.

The love that blossoms between Lizzy and Darcy is not typical fairy tale love at first sight.

Men in Pride and Prejudice

Men in Pride and Prejudice

While Pride and Prejudice was set in a time where women were quite often subjected to extreme objectification, in the novel men are quite set aside and are little more than plot devices used to tell the story. On the very first page of the novel, Austen says "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must in want of a good wife." While this is said ironically, there is a certain element of truth in it, at least in terms of the world Pride and Prejudice is set in. On the same page, men are referred to as "property", a theme that travels through the novel. While King Lear does not contain themes of men being "property" as such, some men are still under the control of women.

Arguably, this can be easily justified, as in our world where novels so often contain empty female characters, men should be subjected to the same rules. But perhaps putting men in the same position as women is not a step forward for female characters in literature, but rather a step back. Pride and Prejudice is a world dominated by women. All the men in the novel have some female figure that they must answer to, and perhaps Austen is trying to communicate that even in a world that was so obviously created for men, men themselves were not always as free as one might think. Mr. Bennet is managed by his wife and daughters, he is a quiet man who simply wants peace, yet still performs on the whims of a woman we are not encouraged to like. For example, when Lydia is invited to go to Brighton, an action considered improper in the time the novel is set, Mr. Bennet allows her to go, the only reason  being that the uproar of Mrs. Bennet and Lydia's reaction. Thus Mr. Bennet is controlled by the women around him.

This has a similar theme to King Lear where Lear, after he sheds himself of kingly responsibilities, is now in the mercy of his daughters, Goneril and Regan, who, somewhat like Lydia and Mrs. Bennet, the audience are not encouraged to feel anything akin to affection towards. Unlike Pride and Prejudice, Lear breaks free of his daughters' control, and it is them trying exercise control over him that is what prompts him to leave, and perhaps speeds up his fate. Perhaps this is divine justice stepping in to punish him for his behaviour towards Cordelia, who he rashly acted against. But is it justifiable to push an old, senile man into the midst of a storm, whatever his views?

Two characters that can be compared in both King Lear and Pride and Prejudice are Lord Albany and Mr. Darcy. For a large chunk of the book, Darcy is under the influence of Lady Catherine, who's opinions are cruel and irrational. She does not encourage his and Elizabeth's relationship, instead sticking with the rigid social rules of who and marry and why to marry. However, Darcy, filled with a sense of what is right, and understanding that what is right for Catherine may not necessarily right for him, breaks away from her influence and marries Elizabeth.
Like Darcy, Albany is under the control of Goneril for the majority of the play. He is first presumed to be a spineless, weak and cowardly character

View of Authority in Pride and Prejudice - General Vision and Viewpoint

   In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen wavers between an absolute respect for rank and authority, and an unbridled distain for the idea of one’s life being dictated by someone else simply due to societal status. The former is displayed in the pristinely in Elizabeth Bennet’s sudden growth of respect for Mr Darcy on seeing him in his natural circumstances at Pemberley. Meanwhile, the latter strikes through the text in Lizzie's later meeting with Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

   At the beginning of the book, we cannot imagine Lizzie seeing Mr Darcy as anything than a "proud, disagreeable man", in Mrs Bennet's words. His attitude towards her instigates the sculpture of him she carves in her mind, he donates the marble and she and Wickham gleefully cut into it. Lizzie will not respect anyone without their earning it. Though Darcy perhaps deserves to be seen as an authoritative figure; Elizabeth is unaware of the reasons why, and refuses. She slowly climbs in her understanding of Darcy, and her growth in understanding is accompanied by admiration and respect. By realising his true circumstances and character, and combining these, Lizzie finally has that lucid image of him she so desperately craves. Her knowledge of his character is drawn mainly from his actions regarding Lydia's affair with Wickham. He acts here with determination, power and authority, revealing these qualities of his, and giving him a new standing in the novel. Lizzie is forced to acknowledge his authority when she visits Pemberley. In seeing all the land and people he is responsible for she has an epiphany, discovering his true social status and material value for the first time.