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......
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