Class, Money, Pride and Happiness in Pride and Prejudice,...

Happiness can be defined in a plethora of ways such as good fortune, a state of well being, or a pleasurable, satisfying experience. William Thackeray’s Rebecca Sharp stated in the novel Vanity Fair that she â€Å"could be a good woman if she had five thousand pounds† and she â€Å"could dawdle about in the nursery and count the apricots on the wall† (VF 414). Marianne Dashwood of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility says that she â€Å"cannot be happy with a man whose taste did not in every point coincide with my own† (SS 15). Most importantly, Elizabeth Bennet of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice states that she would be happy with someone who â€Å"has no improper pride† and â€Å"is perfectly amiable† (PP 364). While all of these novels give a glimpse into†¦show more content†¦Right from the beginning we understand that Mrs. Bennet’s motive is to marry off her 5 daughters(Elizabeth, Jane, Mary, Catherine, and Lydi a) to eligible suitors, particularly Mr. Bingley. Mr. Bennet, being â€Å"a mixture of quick parts† (7), is impartial to this and would rather not visit Mr. Bingley as Mrs. Bennet alludes that it is customary for the father to visit any potential suitor before the mother does. With this argument, we see that Mrs. Bennet’s happiness is directly linked to the well-being of her daughters. We also see that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s views of what’s right for their daughters are very different from each other with Mrs. Bennet doing whatever it takes to ensure the happiness of her daughters while Mr. Bennet is not so proactive in this endeavor. As the main protagonist of Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet’s views on happiness are very much so connected to her sense of pride. Mary Bennet, one of the younger Bennet sisters, states that â€Å"A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves† (PP 21). Throughout the novel we see that Elizabeth sees herself as a headstrong and sensible woman; one who would never fall to the fallible feelings caused by love and society. She is much like another of Austen’s protagonists, Elinor Dashwood of Sense and Sensibility, who states at one point during the novel, â€Å"Sometimes one is guided by what theyShow MoreRelatedPride And Prejudice By Jane Austen Essay1724 Words   |  7 PagesThe 18th century novel, Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, is a fascinating book about a young woman’s struggle with family and love. Pride and Prejudice was originally published in 1813, but, the most common version of the story, and the one used for this research, is from the version published in 1892, still by only Jane Austen, though many other authors have contributed to this book over time. 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