This thesis will make the research on Jan Austen’s view on marriage。It may contain five parts chapter。 Chapter one mainly introduce this thesis’s content and research significance。 Chapter two is literature review, it includes research on Austen and her works and analysis of Pride and Prejudice。Chapter three is the research of Austen’s views on marriage。 Chapter four is the reasons why Austen have this opinions and wrote this novel。 Then is the conclusion and work cited。
2。 Literature Review
Pride and Prejudice is considered Jan Austen’s most famous and successful novel。 And in many people’s opinion it is also one of the greatest fictions written in English。 It contains all the elements necessary for great literature: an attractive plot, a concise style, proper setting, and fascinating characters。 Many literature critics write essays to analyze this book and I arrange them in the following logical way。
2。1 Researches on Austen and her works
The most remarkable character of Austen’s work is the accurate descriptions of details of daily life。 Pollock researched Austen’ lifetime,and he pointed that Miss Austen never attempts to describe a scene or a class of society with which she was not herself thoroughly acquainted。The conversations of ladies,or of ladies and gentlemen together, or of are given。 but no instance occurs of a scene in which men only are present。(Pollock 27) But in Pollock’s view it is just the unique character of Austen’s work。 She shows readers a real and vivid picture of her era through these small matters in ordinary people’s ordinary life。(Pollock 73)There is no
grand narrative,but readers can feel it from the dialogues characters make。 The description of
ordinary people and life is easier to understand。
Austen focuses on daily life of middle-class with humor。As Emma says: “on which the daily happiness of private life depends。”(Emma 32) David researched Austen’s emotional experience and find that in her time marriage mainly determined women’s social status。 It is obviously reflected in Pride and Prejudice。 The characters of Pride and Prejudice are all ordinary people and the dialogues and events may happen in everyone’s daily life。 Austen’s accurate description of the details of daily is also considered a weakness of her work, and even
an objection to her。 And she has been accused of writing dull stories about ordinary people, especially when her work is compared with those describing the changing times and historical events。(David 57)
2。2 Analysis and studies of Pride and Prejudice论文网
In the study of Austen’s view on love and marriage, some scholars believe that she is a good self-recognition, self-reflection, with a strong sense of women and have a clear view of love and marriage。 Professor Debra Teachman made research on the social characteristic in this novel and believes that women can not be economically independent。 Happy marriage is the final destination of the women,but a happy marriage needs a deep emotional foundation as well as the economic base as a support。(Teachman 63) Edward Cooper studied woman’s social status at that time in Pride and Prejudice and thinks that woman’s low social status is the main reason why who in that time have to marry the rich men。(Cooper 23)
Perkin explored the family relationship in this novel and found that women do not have real class independence。For most women,the family status they belong to determines their social status and family status are mainly determined by the position of the male parents。(Perkin 48) Sir Walter Scott also evaluated Pride and Prejudice in his journal: “Read again, and for the
third time at least, Miss Austen’s novel of Pride and Prejudice。 That young lady has a talent for