論《傲慢與偏見》婚姻價(jià)值取向

1、論?傲慢與偏見?婚姻價(jià)值取向摘要 簡奧斯丁的?傲慢與偏見?寫于1813年，一直以來很受歡迎，并被廣泛閱讀。特定的歷史時(shí)代決定了那個(gè)時(shí)候的人們對(duì)金錢特別看重，影響涉及婚姻觀念。在這篇文章里面，書中大部分人物的婚姻選擇都用來作為典型，證實(shí)金錢表達(dá)他們的婚姻價(jià)值取向。關(guān)鍵詞 傲慢與偏見，金錢，婚姻價(jià)值取向，婚姻觀Abstract Pride and prejudice is a very popular novel written by Jane Austen and it is read widely all over the world. It was written in 1813. That

2、 specific history time decided that people at that time took money much more seriously, even on their marriage. In this paper, the marriage cases of most characters in the book were taken as typical to analyze how money influenced their matrimonial value orientation.Key words Pride and prejudice, mo

3、ney, matrimonial value orientation, marriageIntroductionSocial BackgroundThe story of Pride and Prejudice took place in the time of the Regency in Britain. At that time, Britain was at the period of transition from the earlier stage of Capitalism to Capitalist Industrialization. In the countryside,

4、the aristocratic family still held great power and right that country squires were likely to fawn upon them. However, as the development of Capitalism and the expand of the rank of rich people, the distinction between social strata was being smaller and smaller, while money was getting more and more

5、 important in peoples mind about social value. A western literature critic once said that “ even David Ricardo (a British economist) had a unlikely clearer understanding about the function of money in daily life as Jane Austen had.(3) It is exactly because of the secure pledge in finance that the co

6、untry squire society could be existing strongly and solidly.The first sentence of the whole novel proclaims, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.(4) Here, “a good fortune and “in want of are two key phrases. “in want of

7、 means it is needed objectively, but not subjectively. Such kind of wording makes the proposition have more objectivity of “truth. In Pride and Prejudice, the Bennets are taken as the typical to test the “truth universally acknowledged.Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five daughters, living at Longbourn. Mr

8、. Bennets property consists almost entirely in an estate of two thousand pounds a year, which, unfortunately for his daughters, is entailed, in default of heirs male, on a distant relation. That means there will be no other guarantee for their daughters future lives, but their perspective marriages.

9、 Therefore, it is no wonder that Mrs. Bennet takes Mr. Bingley as “the rightful property(5) for their daughters when she hears about that he has one hundred thousand pounds property, though she has not even seen him _x0013_ “A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine th

10、ing for our girls!(6) That is the beginning of the novel. The implicit marriage mentioned here obviously concerns no feeling but only financial condition and subsistence. To those husband-hunting ladies, Mr. Bingley is an abstract signal. The most important thing is that he has “a good fortune. So w

11、e can say, to opposite with the proclamation at the beginning, so-called “ a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife is not at all “ a truth universally acknowledged, but only Mrs. Bennets own wishful thinking. We can also say that, as Zhu Hong pointed out, in Pride and

12、prejudice, the real “truth universally acknowledged is “ a woman without property must be in want of a husband with a good fortune.(7)We first see Mr. Darcy at the ball, “ He soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report which was in gene

13、ral circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a-year.(8)Next is the introduction about Mr. Bingley and his two sisters.“They were in fact very fine ladies; not deficient in good humor when they pleased, nor in power of being agreeable when they chose it, but prou

14、d and conceited. They were very handsome, had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, were in the habit of spending more than they ought, and of associating with people of rank, and were therefore in every respect entitled to think well

15、of themselves, and meanly of others. They were of a respectable family the north of England; a circumstances more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brothers fortune and their own had been acquired by trade.Mr. Bingley inherited property to the amount of nearly an hundred thousand po

16、unds from his father, who had intended to purchase an estate, but did not live to it. Mr. Bingley intended it likewise, and sometimes made choice of his county; but as he was now provided with a good house and the liberty of a manor, it was doubtful to many of those who best knew the easiness of his

17、 temper, whether he might not spend the remainder of his days at Netherfield, and leave the next generation to purchase.(9)The narration above describes the British country squires life-picture from one aspect. They have enough money for loafing, and these loafers can afford big or small residence w

18、ith servants for ordering about. They take family background seriously, which is the most important factor to earn others respect, on the basis of fortune and good-breeding. At the same time, they will not trace to its sources. In short, there does exist strict hierarchy, which is classified accordi

19、ng to the family and tradition from the surface, but the financial ine actually. Those who have the highest ine will be in the highest social position, owning large residence and parks, having the nicest furniture and the most precious paintings, and the best streams for fishing. The money earned by

20、 trading is despised, but it will be soon forgotten after generations. However, to avoid being looked down upon, the generation at present will always employ such kind of clever method: giving up business dealing or profession and going to countryside to settle down then nobody will know their past.

21、From a neighbor of the Bennets, we can get to know how such social process begins:“Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune, and risen to the honor of knighthood by an address to the king, during his mayoralty. The distinction had perhaps been fe

22、lt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business, and to his residence in a small market town; and, quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from the period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, a

23、nd unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world.(10)Then what attitude does these rich country squires hold to the low-class people surrounding them? Lets look at another paragraph of description about Lady Catherine de Bourgh:“Elizabeth soon perceived, that though t

24、his great lady was not in the mission of the peace for the county, she was a most active magistrate in her own parish, the minutest concerns of which were carried to her by Mr. Collins; and whenever any of the cottagers were disposed to be quarrelsome, discontented, or too poor, she sallied forth in

25、to the village to settle their differences, silence their plaints, and scold them into harmony and plenty.(11)Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a model of her rank, arrogant and conceited. Her manners to the inferiors are dictatorial and insolent. She has the reputation of being remarkably sensible and cl

26、ever. But all this, together with her ability of administrating the county, derives from her rank and fortune. That is to say, good fame and exceeding power would certainly e to a person as long as he/she has money and is in high social position.The great impact of money on marriageIn Pride and Prej

27、udice, we can always see country squires leisurely life with calls, walks, picnics, conversations, parties, balls and marriages. But seeing through the surface, there is a world of struggling for existence determined by economic base. The whole book is filled with digit. Mr. Bennets property consist

28、s almost entirely in an estate of two thousand pounds a year. Mrs. Bennets father . leaves her four thousand pounds. Each of their five daughters can get one thousand pounds in the 4 per cents after their mother dies. Mr. Bingley inherits property to the amount of nearly an hundred thousands pounds

29、from his father and he has four or five thousand a year. Miss Bingley has a fortune of twenty thousand pounds. Mr. Darcy has ten thousand pounds a year while his sister, Georgiana has a property of thirty thousand pounds. Wickham wants to get ten thousand from Darcy, otherwise he will not marry Lydi

30、a even though they are in elopement. Colonel Fitzwilliam, Darcys cousin, would like to marry a woman who should have a property of at least fifty thousand pounds, since he has no inheritance as a younger son of an earl. Mr. Collins claims that he must make such an agreement for tithes as may be bene

31、ficial to himself and not offensive to his patron. Even the chimney-piece in one of Lady Catherines drawing rooms costs eight hundred pounds. Of course, the very one thing that cannot be forgotten to mention is that the estate entail of Mr. Bennet, which makes Mrs. Bennet be extreme obsession. And i

32、t is the exact thing that decides the fate of their five daughters and then the story of Pride and prejudice occurs. Upon the whole, no marriage that involves no money.Except the detailed digit of money, there is another factor which has a great influence on marriage. That is social position determi

33、ned by economic condition. In the story, the Bennets have some low connections. They have one uncle, Mr. Phillips, being an attorney in Meryton, and another one, Mr. Gardiner, settling in London in a respectable line of trade. As for this, Miss Bingley always makes fun of the Bennets, and Mr. Darcy

34、once says frankly that “it must very materially lessen their chance of marrying men of any consideration in the world.(12)To make it clear that money is very important in the marriage convention of such kind of society, Mr. Collins words after Elizabeth refusing his proposal can be taken as proof.“

35、It does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy your acceptance, or that establishment I can offer would be any other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my connections with the family of de Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, are circumstances highly in my favor; and you should take

36、 it into further consideration, that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer to marriage may ever be made you, your portion is unhappily so small, that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications.(13)Mr. Collins

37、 is not a sensible man, and the deficiency of Nature has been but little assisted by education or society. The subjection in which his father brought him up has given him originally great humility of manner; but it is a great deal counteracted by the self-conceit of a weak head, living in retirement

38、, and the consequent feelings of early and unexpected prosperity. The respect which he feels for Lady Catherines high rank, and his veneration for her as his patroness, mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his right as a rector, makes him altogether a mi

39、xture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility. His intention of choosing Elizabeth as his wife is his plan of amends - of atonement _x0013_ for inheriting their fathers estate; and he thinks it an excellent one, full of eligibility and suitableness, and excessively generous and dis

40、interested on his own part. So he takes it for granted that Elizabeth will accept his proposal cheerfully and readily. Though Elizabeth rejects him for his inplete character, it still can tell us the low social-status of the British women at that period of time. The only thing a young lady without p

41、roperty could do is to marrying a man with a good fortune.Take the marriage case of Lucas-Collins for another example. Miss Lucas is Elizabeths closest friend. She is a sensible, intelligent young woman, knowing it very clearly that “Mr. Collins, to be sure, was neither sensible nor agreeable; his s

42、ociety was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary. But still he would be her husband. Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honorable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of

43、 giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want.(14)Such humorous and piercing description portrays the mentality of Lucas-like women deeply and also their fate that there is no other way that can improve their own position in finance and society except marrying a husband with a

44、good fortune. Elizabeth goes to Parsonage to visit them by the invitation of Miss Lucas after they getting married, and finds:“Her home and her housekeeping, her parish and her poultry, and all their dependent concerns, had not yet lost their charms.(15) “When Mr. Collins could be forgotten, there w

45、as really a great air of fort throughout (16)It is interesting that, in such marriage based on sole and naked money-transaction, the woman without property does marry a single man with a good fortune, but the husband himself has nothing to do with the enjoyment the marriage bringing to her. Is not i

46、t an excellent irony to the proposition at the beginning of the novel the “truth universally acknowledged?Wickham-Lydia Scandal can be taken as another instance to illustrate that money is of overwhelming importance in marriage. Wickham is very handsome and charming from his appearance, but actually

47、 demoralizes. He is extravagant and always greatly in debts of honor. Lydia, far more different from her two elder sisters, is vain, ignorant, idle and absolutely uncontrolled. Moreover, she indulges herself in flirtation with officers. They elope from Brighton without any engagement and are found o

48、ut in London finally. Though under such circumstances, Wickham has no intention at all to marry Lydia, but for Darcys help in secret:“Mr. Darcy asked him why he had not married your sister at once? Though Mr. Bennet was not imagined to be very rich, he would have been able to do something for him, a

49、nd his situation must have been benefited by marriage. But he found, in reply to this question, that Wickham still cherish the hope of more effectually making his fortune by marriage in some other county. Under such circumstances, however, he was not likely to be proof against the temptation of imme

50、diate relief.They met several times, for there was much to be discussed. Wickham, of course, wanted more than he could get, but at length was reduced to be reasonable.(17)Wickhams marrying Lydia finally calms down the dissatisfaction in the society, and for that, Mrs. Bennet is in great joy.In marri

51、age, money is considered as the factor of extreme importance, not only to daughters, but also to younger sons. Lets have a close look at the conversation between the respectable Colonel Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth:“ Now, seriously, what have you ever known of self-denial and dependence? When have you

52、been prevented by want of money from going wherever you chose, or procuring anything you had a fancy for?“These are home questions and perhaps I can not say that I have experienced many hardships of that nature. But in matters of greater weight, I may suffer from the want of money. Younger sons can

53、not marry where they like.“Unless where they like women of fortune, which I think they very often do.“Our habits of expense make us too dependent, and there are not many in my rank of life who can afford to marry without some attention to money.(18)Now lets turn to the protagonist of the novel, Eliz

54、abeth Bennets. She is intelligent, vivacious, humorous, perceptive and quick-witted, and she has a strong sense of personality and dignity. She despises her mothers dreadful mentality and unbearably vulgar and also her younger sisters flirtatiousness and dissoluteness, but is never ashamed of her am

55、iable uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner just because of their profession as merchants. She firmly refuses Mr. Collins proposal, against her mothers expectation, because she does not and will never love him, and declines Mr. Darcy resolutely, for his expressing his love to her arrogantly and impe

56、rtinently. She does not knuckle under the snobbish Miss Bingley, and is neither overbearing nor cringing to Mrs. de Bourgh and her domineeringness. When the latter shows her intention to intervene her freedom of marrying Darcy or not, she takes on diamond-cut-diamond and never promised. She finally

57、marries Darcy and her marriage is considered as an ideal one, for it consists of money and love. Leaving aside her true love for Darcy, then, what role does money play in her process of chasing after marriage?She once holds good feelings on Wickham, considering him to be the most agreeable man she h

58、as ever met. But meanwhile, she thinks it is too imprudent to fall in love with him. She once says to her aunt, Mrs. Gardiner,“I will take care of myself, and of Mr. Wickham too. He shall not be in love with me, if I can prevent it.(19)So when Wickham gets engaged with Miss King for her ten-thousand

59、-pound property, she does not feel a little bit sad but free. Her two younger sisters, Kitty and Lydia are resentful about him, but she thinks “They are young in the ways of the world, and not yet open to the mortifying conviction that handsome young men must have something to live on as well as the

60、 plain.(20)When Mrs. Gardiner expresses her idea about Wickhams desertion later, Elizabeth says,“Pray, my dear aunt, what is the difference in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive? Where does discretion end, and avarice begin?(21)Here, Austen brings up a plicated problem