Pride and Prejudice: The Theme

 

The novel, Pride and Prejudice, opens with the following sentence

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of good fortune must be in want of a wife."

And the ring of this sentence pervades the whole novel and makes marriage the focus of attention. So marriage remains the central theme of the novel and some three marriages are made, besides the marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy round whom the plot of the novel evolves. Each of these marriages is, in one way or the other, related with the main marriage-theme.

 

 But the marriages are not only made; the marriages that had long ago been made, especially the one of Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet, come into question. The cynically witty Mr. Bennet and his vulgar, stupid wife, always with schemes to marry off her five daughters, show clearly that there is nothing majestic in married life. Their concern for finding husbands for their daughters may be-real, but equally real and contemptible is their irresponsible behaviour.

                                                    To be continued......