1. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ESSAY<br />Marriage back in the 1700’s generally resulted from the desperation of women who needed financial stability due to the unstable financial status of their families. Of course, majority of all women didn’t belong to the upper class, so marrying a man with a good financial status will give them a stable life, although the true essence of love may not be present on both parties. This didn’t matter that much because women were so preoccupied by the idea that if they don’t get married soon, they will end up, most likely, in poverty and turn into old maids. But the question is what characteristics does a marriage have to have in order for it to be a life-long success, in emotional and economical terms? In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, marriage may possess all or some of the three possible characteristics of marriage: Love, Respect, and Financial Stability and without any of these, the marriage will fail.<br />Anticipating Mr. and Mrs. Bennett’s marriage, their marriage possesses only one possible characteristic of marriage, which is financial stability. Mr. Bennett had long received an estate in which they live in and own, which, if one of their daughters marry, will be “entailed” to his daughter’s husband. He also receives £2,000 annually as a provision for the seven members of his family. Also, in the town they live in, they are considered as the richest because they were able to “keep a good cook”, have their own “servants”, and have admirable furniture, hall, and “dining-room”. They may not be considered as people who belong to the upper class, but people who belong to the middle class. Comparing to Mr. Collins, who actually work for Lady Catherine, a very prominent character and rich, and receives his salary from her, the Bennett’s own more than he does. The Lucases’s, Philip’s, and Gardiner’s also earn less than the Bennett’s. However, in spite of this marriage’s financial stability, it lacks certain other essential characteristics that would make this marriage a romantic life-long success.<br />No marriage can have that romantic chemistry between the two lovers if love and respect have no place in each of the lover’s heart and mind. Between Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Bennett, their chemistry conveys neither love nor respect. During the time when Mrs. Bennett worried so much about the chances her daughters have to meet Mr. Bingley, Mrs. Bennett asked his husband why he was “so teasing” because Mr. Bennett said that she could introduce Mr. Bingley herself to their daughters, without even realizing that his wife doesn’t know Mr. Bingley herself. In addition to this, Mr. Bennett finds his amusement on teasing and making fun of her, and also finds “pleasure” when he is “being eagerly questioned by his wife”. Moreover, they don’t communicate as much as they should, especially over family matters and the growth of their relationship. Also, the time that should be spent for each other is wasted away on personal satisfaction. Mr. Bennett spends most of his time in his library, while Mrs. Bennett spends most of her energy gossiping and finding future husbands for her daughters. Their marriage had only been sweet and romantic once, and it was during their youths, when charm and beauty were still enjoyable and innocent. But as time started passing by, so are their charm and beauty that once gave joy to both of them and began fading away. Another marriage that somehow resembles this marriage’s deficiency can be found between Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas.<br />Looking at Mr. Collins and Mr. Charlotte’s marriage, their marriage contains respect and financial stability. They are compatible in a way that they have this respect for each other, owing to their personalities. As Jane had said, “Mr. Collins’s respectability” and “Charlotte’s prudent, steady character” will make “most eligible match”. In Charlotte’s side, she may have “regard and esteem” for Mr. Collins as time passes by due to his position in life and on account of the financial stableness she perceived she will have with him for the rest of her life. Also, she shows her respect to her husband by submissively accepting and taking orders from his patroness, which is Lady Catherine, and tames her mouth about her opinions, which may not please Mr. Collins or Lady Catherine herself. In Mr. Collins’s side, he respected Charlotte for the comfort, which he paid “assiduous attentions” to, he received from her, as it had given him relief from his disappointment of being turned down by Elizabeth. Charlotte’s “civility in listening” to him captured his affection and made it turn towards her. In return, Mr. Collins provide financial support to her by working as a priest, as he was designated by Lady Catherine, and receiving his fixed salary from her. Although this marriage may have two possible characteristics, it still lacks an essential characteristic that would bind them emotionally. <br />The other essential characteristic which Mr. Collins and Mrs. Collins’s marriage lack is love that would bring real joy and contentment to both of them. As written here earlier, Charlotte submits herself to Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine faithfully, out of her great respect towards her husband and his provider. However, she had never shown affection or care to Mr. Collins. She had even favored to stay in the room in her home that “was backwards”, in contrast to where Mr. Collins’s book room faced. Her reason for this was for Mr. Collins to “have been much less in his apartment”, which Charlotte rather chose than for them being together. Like Mrs. Bennett, she spends most of her time for personal satisfaction, such as that she spends her time on “domestic concerns” and “management” of her house, cows, and poultry. In addition, she endeavors to please Lady Catherine more than her husband by doing all these responsibilities Lady Catherine assigned her to do. She finds these more pleasurable and worth of doing so. As to Mr. Collins, “chief of the time”, he spends his time “working in the garden”, “reading and writing”, or “looking out of the window” from his book room. They obviously don’t save some time that should be spent for one another as husband and wife, and they both find contentment on just the assurance of having a life time companion, not giving any consideration on what they might feel for one another. In contrast to this marriage, the marriage which possesses all the essential characteristics can be discerned between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s matrimony.<br />Only marriages of Mr. Bingley and Jane and Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth contain the entire essential characteristic, except that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s contain that of an ideal and successful marriage. Vast view of one of the characteristic, which is financial stability, could be accounted on Mr. Darcy’s bountiful riches and salary. He had been declared “having ten thousand a year” and owning a large piece of land. He rightfully belongs to the upper class and the bloodline of richest people of England as he is personally related with Lady Catherine, his own aunt and sister of his mother, Lady Darcy. His land located at Pemberley was illustrated as “stretching over a wide extent” and “contained variety of ground”. When Elizabeth and her relatives were visiting Pemberley, it took them “half a mile” to actually distinguish the “Pemberley House” from afar. The house was said to be “large, handsome, stone building”, similar as to how a mansion would look like. Only very affluent people, such as Mr. Darcy, could afford such a colossal land and home mansion. Moreover, another evidence of his great assets that attributes to his financial stability was during the incident of Wickham’s need of monetary source to pay for the debts he had left behind after eloping with Lydia, and Mr. Darcy had been gracious and generous enough to pay for it. Wickham’s debts were “more than a thousand pounds”, and Mr. Darcy also had his “commission purchased”, utilizing his own money to accomplish these. Next, the other characteristics that make up majority of Darcy and Elizabeth’s gay and almost perfect marriage are love and respect.<br />Like the old saying that ‘love conquers all’, Elizabeth’s insensitivity and prejudice were turned into overflowing love and respect for Darcy through his unfailing and unwavering love for her. It took some time before Elizabeth had opened her eyes and realized that all Darcy’s actions towards her are accounted on his true love for her. For Elizabeth, Darcy would make “himself agreeable nowhere”, and all his actions are considered “ill” and made her “sick” , thus, she abhorred every subtle acts and thoughts of him. However, her negativities towards him changed as Darcy successfully proved her his love by covering the shame Lydia had brought to her family, as this shame would prevent Elizabeth, as well as her other sisters and her entire family itself, from earning reputation by the society. Elizabeth soon learned to notice and distinguish that Darcy is really “good-natured”, “generous-hearted”, and “sweet-tempered”, just as his housekeeper had described him, and resolve to pay him back the respect she should have had ever since the first time they’ve met. Eventually, Elizabeth was able to express that her “sentiments had undergone…change”, and even humbled herself this time, telling her gratitude to him. As all these were then exposed, both of these lovers couldn’t longer contain the wildness of their feelings for each other and expressed their felicity. The time and obstacles both of them endured before Elizabeth finally accepted Darcy’s proposal convey that true love that had been nurtured through circumstances make the marriage emotionally stable and successful. They will be considered happier than those marriages that lack this very essential element of marriage.<br />In conclusion, the least happy in matrimony would be the Bennett’s due to the lack of love and respect in their marriage. Although they are established financially, they would both grow old without having so much affection, enjoyment, and communication that would make their marriage worth of having. Next least happy would be the Collins’s because like the Bennett’s, their marriage does have respect for each other and financial stability. But never had it occurred that they enjoyed each other’s company and showed their love and affection for each other ever since they had started. The only marriage that represented an ideal and successful marriage would that of Mr. Darcy’s and Elizabeth because their marriage contained all the essential characteristics a successful and romantic marriage could have.<br />