第1个回答 2009-04-17
Many people simply regard Pride and Prejudice as a love story, but in my opinion, this book is an illustration of the society at that time. She perfectly reflected the relation between money and marriage at her time and gave the people in her works vivid characters. The characters have their own personalities. Mrs. Bennet is a woman who makes great efforts to marry off her daughters. Mr. Bingley is a friendly young man, but his friend, Mr. Darcy, is a very proud man who seems to always feel superior. Even the five daughters in Bennet family are very different. Jane is simple, innocent and never speaks evil of others. Elizabeth is a clever girl who always has her own opinion. Mary likes reading classic books. (Actually she is a pedant.) Kitty doesn’t have her own opinion but likes to follow her sister, Lydia. Lydia is a girl who follows exotic things, handsome man, and is somehow a little profligate. When I read the book, I can always find the same personalities in the society now. That is why I think this book is indeed the representative of the society in Britain in the 18th century.
The family of gentleman in the countryside is Jane Austen’s favourite topic. But this little topic can reflect big problems. It concludes the stratum situation and economic relationships in Britain in her century. You can find these from the very beginning of this book.
The first sentence in this book is impressive. It reads: “It is a truth well known to all the world that an unmarried man in possession of a large fortune must be in need of a wife”. The undertone is very clear: the foundation of the marriage at that time is not emotion but possession.
People always think that Austen was an expert at telling love stories. In fact, the marriage in her book is not the result of love, but the result of economic needs. After reading this book, I know the truth is that a poor woman must be in need of a husband, a wealthy man.
I couldn’t forget how eager Mrs. Bennet wants to marry off her daughters. If you want to know why she is so crazy about these things, I must mention the situation in Britain at that time. Only the eldest son had the privilege of inheriting his father’s possessions. Younger sons and daughters who are used to luxurious lives have no choice but marry a man or woman in possession of a large fortune to continue their comfortable lives. Thus, we can see that getting married is a way to become wealthier, particularly for women without many possessions. Jane Austen told us that money and possession determined everything, including marriage and love in her century.
In “Pride and Prejudice”, the sister of Mr. Bingley strongly opposed his plan of marrying Jane because the Bennets don’t have many possessions and their social positions are much lower than them. From this, we can see there are a lot of obstacles for a not very rich woman to marry a wealthy husband. The society, the relatives would not allow them to get married.
In modern society, although the marriages of economic needs have decreased rapidly, the concept of “money determines everything” is still rooted in some people’s mind. A lot of parents try hard to interfere their children’s marriages. Education background, possessions, jobs remains the main reason that may influence one’s marriage. Marry for money is still a big problem in our society. We can’t help thinking: can money determine everything?
Austen left this problem for us to think. The genius of Jane Austen lies in this perfect simplicity, the simplicity that reflects big problems. Although Austen was only 21 when she wrote “Pride and Prejudice”, her sharp observation of social lives makes the style of this book surprisingly mature and lively. The plots in her works are always very natural. The development of the plot is as inevitable as a problem in mathematics. I think the depth of Pride and Prejudice is the reason that makes this book prominent and classic. Today, her book still can be the guide telling us the economic relationships both at her time and in modern time.
第2个回答 2009-04-19
Austin's "Pride and Prejudice", as she herself said, in the passport-size on thin ivory carving, which is representative of Austin. This reflects the marital problems of the novel is the author of a popular work, but also her favorite works. works vividly reflect the late 18th century to the early 19th century and in the conservative state of occlusion of the British state of township life and the world human. their social customs like painting at the time the novel is not only to attract a large number of readers, it is to Today, still to the readers to enjoy the unique art. She was the first to portray the day-to-day realities of ordinary life in extraordinary novelist TU in the history of the British novel has been the role of connecting.
Torrential整部作品no momentum, no ups and the plot twists and turns, but this simple, elegant fascinated us. Austin, almost all short-term life of the countryside in the UK spent around may be a simple, quiet She gave birth to an atmosphere of indifferent quality. and not because there is no wealth of experience, on her ability to analyze things in doubt, read "Pride and Prejudice" will definitely be fine for her, impressed by the emotional sensitivity. At the time of writing "Pride and Prejudice", she is a teenage girl, is this not a gift you? she seldom come into contact with "outsiders", but there is thinking, to imagine the existence of the existence of all this would be sufficient.
第4个回答 2020-05-21
“Any library is a good library that does not contain a volume by Jane Austen”, when this words about Jane Austen given by Mark Twin first came upon to me, I was, just in your expectation, a little bit surprised. Gradually, however, when I know more about the characteristics of her works, I think the judgement of Mark Twin makes sense in some degree. Especially after I have finished her work Pride and Prejudice and compared it with the contemporary production The Red and the Black written by Stendhal. Less reflection and exposure on social conflicts among different classes is a big pity for Austen’s works, as well as for the readers. Still, however, Austen’s unique interpretation towards marriage is the distinguished feature of her literary accomplishment. And I want to give some reflection on the different kinds of relationships and marriages in Pride and Prejudice.
Five different types of relationships or marriages, as far as I am concerned, are presented in this book.
The first type, undoubtedly, is the relationship between Jane and Mr. Bingley. They met at a party and almost fell in love with each other just after their first encounter. Bingley’s wealth and courtesy, Jane’s beauty and tenderness, and the similarities in their personality are all the factors that contribute to the relationship. So, though I believe, actually, there is some kind of love between the young lady and the gentleman, it is not the pure and true love, their combination is not for no intention but for some certain desire. So I would like to call their relationship as “Secular Love”.
Contrasting to the relationship between Jane and Mr. Bingley, the marriage between Charlotte and Mr.Collins is much less romantic, or no romance at all. One is the Cinderella in reality equipped with no prince, the other is a priest, old and ugly. Their marriage, of course, has no love but compromise. Even Elizabeth thinks “Charlotte the wife of Mr. Collins, was a most humiliating picture!” But what could she do? Just as she said, she is not romantic and she asks only a comfortable home, and this is within Mr. Collins ability. Comparing with being a 27-year-old burden to her family,at least for her, marrying Mr. Collins is the best choice. So as for them, I call “Rational Love” or rather------ “Rational Combination”.
Another couple is Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Bennet. Just in the first chapter, I wondered why two people with such different characteristics could live together for 23 years. The wonder disappeared when the explanation was offered by Austen in Chapter 42 about Mr. Bennet’s attitude towards his wife. Captivated by youth and beauty, he married her and very early in their marriage, after knowing the disposition of her, ended his affection and used her ignorance to contribute his amusement, having impropriety of his behavior as a husband. Neither for Mr. Bennet nor for Mrs. Bennet this marriage is quite fair or contented, but both of them should pay, and had already paid the bill of their “Hasty Love”.
Lydia’s relationship with Wickham, to some extent, is similar with her parents’. Mr. Bennet was captivated by the beauty of his wife and Lydia was fascinated by the handsome appearance of Wickham. Compared with her parents’ marriage, however, Lydia’s relationship with Wickham would only turn out a much more unpleasant one, for their marriage is based on the fulfillment of vanity and the desire of property. So I consider their relationship as “Orectic Incorporation”
And finally here comes the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. When I first finished the movie of Pride and Prejudice, I still wondered why there is a love flame between them. One is so proud and the other full of prejudice, but when I read more details about this work, the answer has emerged. “Love”, a word we are so familiar with, but what is love? In Austen’s work, I gradually know that love is not just as abstract as we often regard. Take Elizabeth, for example, her love for Daisy is based on two things: respect and gratitude. She respects his valuable qualities: nobility and kindness, and even Wickham had done something so bad to him and his sister, he still didn’t blame him before others or let him lose all dignity in public. Also, she is grateful to Mr. Darcy, for his love, for his forgiveness about her bad manners when she rejected him, for his help to her sister’s marriage and her family’s fame. And finally, these turned out her attachment, affection and love for him. As for Darcy, his attention to Elizabeth was first on her eyes, full of liveliness, thoughts and pursuits and unlike any other ladies, she is such a unique girl that she didn’t flatter him at all, so for him she is so extraordinary and attractive. And Elizabeth got his respect and love because of her own independence, liveliness and uniqueness. And I regard their relationship as “Spirit Love”.
Austen’s attitude towards marriage, love, status and property can still be used as a reference. Nowadays, fast food culture derives fast-food-style love, although we are in the era of fast changes, it’s better for us to love rationally and independently. Hope everyone has his real, unique love.