赵芯羽陕西工运学院
【摘要】奥斯丁在《傲慢与偏见》中描述了男女的四种婚姻类型。她强调了经济状况对妇女爱情和婚姻的束缚，建立在爱情基础上的婚姻才是理想和幸福的。本文通过对《傲慢与偏见》中两类男女婚姻的分析，来阐明作品中所反映的奥斯丁的婚姻观是前卫的，她提倡的是一种爱情与经济并重而又以爱情为重的婚姻观，还强调了男女之间的平等。
【关键词】傲慢与偏见婚姻观经济考虑
【中图分类号】I106.4【文献标识码】A【文章编号】1674－4810（2010）06－0023－02
【Abstract】InPrideandPrejudice,Austenwrotefourmarriagetypes.Shepointedout
emphaticallyeconomicconsiderationisthebondsofwedlockandlove.Shesaidthemarriagesettledbyloveishappyandideal.AnalyzeonthetwomarriagetypesinPrideandPrejudice,thethesisexplicatedthatAusten’sviewofmarriagewasprogressive,advocatedbyherfocusontheequalitybetweenmenandwomen.Sheemphasizedmarriageshouldbeofequalimportancebothbyloveandbyeconomicconsiderationbutloveplaystheguidingrole.
【Keywords】PrideandPrejudiceViewsofmarriageEconomicconsideration
1．ChapterOne:anAnalysisofPrideandPrejudice
TheSocialBackgroundoftheNovel：
PrideandPrejudice,agentlebutwittysatireofcourtshipandmarriage,iscertainlyJaneAusten’smostpopularnovel,andhasalwaysbeenafavoriteworkstoreaders,justasitwasafavoriteofJaneAustenherself.ThebackgroundofPrideandPrejudiceisthetimeoftheRegencyinBritain.Attheendofthe18thcenturyandthebeginningofthe19thcentury,BritainwasattheperiodoftransitionfromtheearlierstageofCapitalismtoCapitalistIndustrialization.Thesocietywasdevelopingratherslowlynotonlyinpoliticsbutalsoineconomycomparedwiththedevelopedcapitalisticsocietyofthemiddle19thcentury.Atthattimewomen’seducationandemploymentwereimpossible.Women’spositionwasdeterminedbythesocialeconomicdevelopmentatthattime.Therefore,womenofthe“genteel”classinAusten’snovelswerecharacterizedbythefeaturesofthaterawhentheywerehandlingtheirloveaffairsormaritalproblems.
Allthehistoricalbackgroundsmustbetakenintoconsiderationwhenthereadersappreciatethenovel.OnlyinthiswaycanweobtainaproperevaluationofAusten’sviewofmarriage.
2．ChapterTwo:anAnalysisoftheTwoThemesofLove
（1）Elizabeth’sMarriage:WithBothLoveandMoney
Itisthelongcourseoffrictionanddisputesthatprovidechancesforthemtobetterunderstandeachother.Thetwopersonsdonothavegoodfirstimpressiononeachother.Misunderstandingandprejudicearealwaysinvolvedintheirrelation.Buttheystarttoknowmoreabouteachotherlaterandloveeachotherfinally.Asanordinarywomanofthe“genteel”class,Elizabethmaynothavemanybrilliantandprofoundthoughts.However,shepossessessomequalitiesthatarequitedifferentfromotherordinarygirls’.FacingthearrogantDareyandthesnobbishMissBingley,shedoesnotshowanyinferioritybecauseofherownfamilybackground.Instead,shealwaysgivesthemtitfortatinspeechandactioninordertodefendherdignity.Whatismore,Elizabethdaredowhatotherwomenofthesameclassdarenot.Itisobviousthatherspiritbasedonthefullunderstandingofherselfisagainsttheconventionalconceptoffamilystatusinmarriageandfortheequalitybetweenthemaleandthefemale.Nowonderthatsheistreatedastheprotagonistofthenovel.Shehopesthathermarriagecanbebasedonloveandthatthecouplewillhavespiritualagreement.Suchkindofspiritwasveryrareatthattime.AlthoughElizabeth’sconceptofequalityinthefamilyisquitedifferentfromthatofthepresent,itwillnotaffectourfulladmirationofAusten’sspiritagainstthefeudalhierarchyandtheinequalitybetweenmenandwomen.
WhenshevisitsDarcy’shouse,shehearsthehousekeepersay:“Heisthebestlandlord,andthebestmaster..Somepeoplecallhimproud;butIamsureIneversawanythingofit.Tomyfancy,itisonlybecausehedoesnotrattleawaylikeotheryoungmen.”Thenshebeginsknowingshehasmisunderstoodhimandherprejudicebecomelessandless,ontheotherhandshebecomestolikehim.Throughtheseveralmeetings,theiropinionsabouteachotherchangegreatly.Elizabethgraduallyreducesherprejudiceagainst
DarcyandhasaclearerandclearerpictureaboutDarcy’struecharacter.
AndDarcymakescompromisefinallybecauseoflove.HeevendoesnotmindElizabeth’sfamilyclass.Becauseitisreallyhistruelove.
DarcyandElizabethhavesomethingincommonintheirpersonalitythatenablesthemtounderstandeachotherandstaywitheachother.Theyarebothhonestpersons.Inaddition,bothDarcyandElizabethlovetheirfamiliesandsisters.Darcy’slovetowardhissisterisasdeepasthatofElizabeth’stowardJane.AllthesemakeElizabethmuchmorerespectandloveDarcy.Meanwhile,DarcyisattractedbyElizabeth’skindness,intelligence,andhonesty.
Thereisaproverb:amanmusteatapeckofsaltwithhisfriendbeforeheknowshim.TherelationbetweenElizabethandDarcyisjustlikethis.Theyeliminatethemisunderstandinganddeepenthemutualloveandrespectaftermanytwistsandturns.Inconclusion:thecombinationofDarcyandElizabethisa（VirginiaWoolf,onNovelsandNovelists,P55）successfulandhappyone.Therearedeeploveandthoroughunderstandingbetweenthem.
（2）CharlotteLucas’sMarriage:WithMoneyButWithoutLove
CharlotteLucasisquitedifferentfromherbestfriendElizabeth.Wecannothelpfeelingpityforherwhenitcomestohermarriage.CharlotteperceivesMr.Collins’pedantryandsycophancyandstupiditywhentheyfirstmeet.Whensheacceptshisproposal,sheisquiteclearthatMr.Collins,tobesure,wasneithersensiblenoragreeable;hissocietywasirksome,andhisattachmenttohermustbeimaginary.Butstillhewouldbeherhusband.Withoutthinkinghighlyeitherofmanorofmatrimony,marriagehadalwaysbeenherobject.
However,Charlotte’spitifulfateisnotcausedbyherself.First,thedevelopmentofsocialeconomyandherownsocialstatusdeterminethatshehasnootherchoicebuttodependonherhusbandtoensurefoodandclothingforthesecondhalfofherlife.SecondimportantfactisthatMissLucasisattheageoftwenty－seven,withouthavingeverbeenbeautiful.
Asweallknow,quitealotofmarriageshaveindissolublebondswithbeautifulorhandsomeappearances.Inthosefamousworks,wecaneasilyfindthataperfectmatchbetweenahandsomemanandabeautifulwomanisallthetimeanindispensablepartofthelovestory.Inspiteofitsconventionalpattern,wehavetoacknowledgethatthisispeople’sconsistentviewonthemaritalproblems.ThemostobviousattractivenessofElizabethisherbeauty、cleverness,andeleganceaswell;whileCharlottehasnolackofintelligence,itisapitythatsheisnotbeautitulenoughtowintherichman’sheart.ThatthecharacterofCharlottehasanimportantsocialmeaningcannotbeignored.Astohermarriage,shehasnoalternativebuttoacceptMr.Collins’proposalandshehasaclearideaabouttheannoyingsocialreality.ThedescriptionofCharlotteisinfactareflectionofAusten’sviewofwomen’ssocialpositionandherdeepunderstandingofhowmuchfreedomwomenhaveinmarriage.Charlotte’sdecisionabouthermarriageisindeedbasedonthefullunderstandingofherselfandthesociety.Herchoiceiscertainlynotthebestoneandherlifeaftermarriagecannotbereallyhappy,butAustentellsuswithartisticcharminhernovelthatCharlottehastomakethischoicealthoughshefeelsconstrainedtoactagainstherownwill.Thesocialenvironmenttowhichshebelongsmakesitimpossibleforhertochooseherfuturelifeandtodecideherownmarriagefreely.
3．ChapterThree:Conclusion
PrideandPrejudicefullyshowsJaneAusten’sprofoundopinionofmoney,marriageandtheirrelationinawittyandhumorousway.Theauthorcloselylinksthetwothemesmoneyandmarriageandshowsthatamarriagewithoutloveissad,amarriagewithoutmoneyisimpossibleandamarriage,whichisnottheresultofthelovebutinwantoftheeconomy,isunhappyanddespicable.
WhatAusten’snovelsexhibitisaworldwhichisreducedconsumedly;theviewsofthemarenarrow;anyway,theyarequiteconcentrated.Whatshefocusedonwasmoralityandcustoms;strictrulesofbehaviorandcriterion,hence,whathernovelstalkaboutistraditionalmarriages.Shepaidmoreattentiontotheexpatiationthatmarriagemeansprescriptiveconnectionoffortune,decisionofcognationandrightsofsuccession.Austenrepinedforthewomenofthetime;shethoughtwomenwerebornwiththeequalintelligenceandsenseasmen.
Austen’spositionandtheimportanceofherworkscannotbeneglectedinthehistoryofEnglishliteratruenomatterhowlimitedherlifecircleisandnomatterhowtrivialhersubjectmatteris.VirginiaWoolfwroteofAusten,as“amistressofmuchdeeperemotionthanappearsuponthesurface.Shestimulatesustoprovidewhatisnotthere.Whatsheoffersis,apparentlyatrifle,yetiscomposedofsomethingthatexpendsinthereader’smindandendowswiththeenduringformoflifesceneswhichareoutwardlytrivial.”
Allinall,thematrimonialvaluesinPrideandPrejudicearethegreatestcontributionstothewoman’sliteratureandstillhaveinstructionalfunctionstoday.
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