In "On Making an Agreeable Marriage," Jane Austen is advising her niece to prioritize compatibility, understanding, and mutual respect in a marriage rather than solely focusing on wealth, status, or superficial qualities. Austen highlights the importance of emotional connection and shared values for a successful and fulfilling marital relationship.
In "On Making an Agreeable Marriage," Jane Austen discusses the importance of marrying for love and companionship. She suggests that Fanny's feelings towards a potential partner may evolve and deepen over time, emphasizing the significance of emotional connection in a successful marriage. Austen values genuine affection and mutual understanding in relationships.
Austen's niece married a man based on his looks and fortune rather than his character, prompting Austen to comment "what strange creatures you are." Austen was surprised by her niece's superficial priorities in choosing a spouse and the lack of consideration for more enduring qualities.
We only know of one marriage proposal Jane Austen received. It came from a man named Harris Bigg-Wither, who was very wealthy, but not very attractive. She accepted it, but after thinking about it for about a day, decided to break the engagement. Unfortunately, there is a lot about Jane Austen's life we do not know, and so there may have been other marriage proposals we do not know about.
Jane Austen promised her sister that "Pride and Prejudice" would have a happy ending, which it does with the marriage of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.
In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennett spurned the marriage proposal of Mr. Collins
Jane Austen was engaged for only one day. She accepted a proposal of marriage from Harris Bigg-Wither on December 2, 1802, but she regretted her decision the next day and ultimately broke off the engagement.
Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice.Deborah Moggach (screenplay)Emma Thompson additional dialogue (uncredited)
This question is central to all of Jane Austen's novels, and it is discussed by some of her heroines.A good marriage, in Jane Austen's view, must be based on affection. This does not mean that a person has to be in love with someone to marry, but there must be affection - the people should at the least like each other.In addition to this, there are clearly marriages in Jane Austen's writings, that are not destined to succeed, even though affection is present. The likeliest cause of failure that she writes of is a financial inability to live according to the standards with which one is accustomed. A marriage between Elizabeth Bennet and Col. Fitzwilliam, in Pride and Prejudice, would not have worked because neither had enough money to support them in the way they would liked to have lived. Nor would a marriage between Marianne Dashwood and Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility.A good marriage should include wisdom and discipline by the people involved. In Pride and Prejudice, Wickham's marriage to Lydia was doomed.If either partner has good sense and intelligence, then the other must also, or at least one will be dissatisfied. This is why the marriage, in Pride and Prejudice, of Mr. Bennet to Mrs. Bennet was not happy for both of them.Kindness and charity of feeling are also important, which is why the marriage of Robert Dashwood to Lucy Steele, in Sense and Sensibility, was destined not to be as happy as it otherwise might be.
Emma's refusal to marry is a feminist notion, but her marriage to Knightley at the end of the novel counteracts this.
Several of her heroines do; especially Charlotte and Elisabeth in "Pride and Prejudice", but their opinions could not be more opposed.
Jane Austen used themes such as love, marriage, social class, and morality in her novels to reflect the society of her time and to critique its conventions and restrictions, particularly for women. Through her keen observations and witty portrayals of characters, Austen explored these themes with depth and nuance, creating timeless stories that continue to resonate with readers today.
Jane Austen's parents were George and Cassandra Austen who were both from quite well off families. George was the Rector of Steventon in Hampshire and tutor to a number of young boys. They owned a little land which George farmed.