What is the concept of love in Pride and Prejudice?

Answer 1

It is a little different than what it usually is today.

Love, obviously, was an attraction between people. And on the surface, it seems, from the novel, that the author could agree with Jane and Lizzy that a good marriage has to be based on love. But careful study makes me wonder whether that is how the Jane Austen actually felt.

We exmine the couples we see. Of three couples, we have no indication of why they married; these are the Gardiner, Lucas, and Philips couples, which seem to have varied success.

• Mr and Mrs Bennet married because of an attraction, on his part, and some unknown reason, on hers, though we might suspect she married for security and money. He has become disillusioned, and she would be perfectly happy if they had a son or the estate were not entailed.
• We know Mr Collins married for the sake of having a wife. And his wife married for security. They are not exactly ecstatically happy, but they are hardly miserable, nor do they make any indication of becoming so. Mr Collins is as foolish as Mrs Bennet, but Charlotte's reason for marriage was not like Mr Bennet's - all she wanted was a secure home, and she got what she asked for. Lizzy is appalled at the very idea of the marriage, but Jane speaks of it more thoughtfully, and without disapproval. And in the end, we might suspect that Lizzy has moved to Jane's position.
• We know that Lydia married Wickham for love, but he married her for cash in hand, a job, and debt payment. The indications in the final chapter of the book are that this did not turn out to be happy.
• We know that Bingley and Jane are in love with each other, and we get the sense that this marriage will turn out well in the long term.
• We know that Darcy and Elizabeth are also in love, but, unlike Bingley and Jane, they have fought through difficulties in themselves before committing. We get, perhaps, the best sense that this marriage is happy.

Of the marriages, two look like they are or will be really unhappy, and these two are both marriages in which one partner was in love and the other got what he/she wanted.

In one case, the Collinses, we seem to want to rebel against the idea that the marriage could be worth while, but there is no indication of it going bad.

The author puts words into the mouths of her characters, including both Lizzy and Mr Bennet, saying that at the very least, affection, is needed for marriage. The word is affection, not love.

I think Jane Austen believed love was something that could be nice, but could also be very dangerous. And I think she may have believed it was not really necessary for a successful marriage, provided there was affection and good sense. Clearly, a marriage with love, respect, and good sense could be wonderful, but not everyone could have such a thing. And perhaps only a few couples really could.