程宁调漂视频,白兰地保质期,韩流行星轨迹
|
In the Regency period, only the men had the right of inheritance. Women could not inherit land. If women had property before she got married. Her property became legally in his husband after they wed. This was the reason why Wickham tried to elope with Georgiana Darcy, who had $30000. Women could not work or earn their living. If they had a brother, he would inherit the property. Before they got married, they depended upon their father or his brother. Their brother was obligated to provide an allowance as well as board and bed. If they had no son, the estate of the family would pass to the nearest blood relative. This is the entail system. In pride and prejudice, as the girls of the Bonnets, they have no brother and Mr. Collins will inherit the family property, if their father dies. The entail system puts the unmarried young women in the danger of being homeless and poor upon their father’s death. They have to either live with their relatives as a “dependant” or to be a teacher for living. If they don’t marry, they become a burden of family. In general, they don’t hate to be an old maid. In pride and prejudice, when Charlotte Lucas marries with Mr. Collins at the age of 27, her brothers are “relieved from their apprehension of Charlotte’s dying an old maid”. (Austen, 2003:166) Therefore many women are eager to marry just because marriage is the only best route to financial security. To marry man with fortune is considered as reasonable and socially acceptable step under this particular situation. Charlotte and Elizabeth all consider it. It’s rationality to marry on basis of the fortune.
3.1.2 Women’ Education
The entail system makes women depend on men in economics. Adult women find no opportunities for education but to be confined in domestic life and to be obedient to their husbands. Women have no opportunities for jobs due to lack of formal education. In eighteenth century England, women were excluded from attending the public schools or universities. Women received the domestic education, such as doing some sewing or needlework and so on. However, the non-domestic education was often piano-playing, drawing, singing, dancing or speaking modern language. The education is only to increase the attractiveness in husband-hunting. They devote themselves to attracting men. Women just become the attachment of men. Although the Elizabeth and charlotte are all well-educated, they can not be avoiding themselves of this kind of fate depending upon the men. Lack of the academic education and being excluded from professions and politics, women waste their time on accomplishments for sexual allure. Women’s wit and intelligence are suppressed. Therefore, women are confined in domestic life and play the role of the “Angle in the house”.
3.1.3Women’s Position in the Family
Britain is at the period of transition from the earlier stage of Capitalism to Capitalist Industrialization. But the society develops rather slowly in the countryside. The aristocratic families and feudal hierarchies still possess privilege and power. It is very difficult for women of the day to get education and employment. Therefore, they have to choose to be the angle in the family. Women are treated as the ones who could only give birth to children and serve men. As mentioned in previous section having no access to schools for proper education and excluded from any legal rights in politics, young women find no chance for self-support. Because of the entail system, they have no choice to depend on the men. They have to depend on marriage to change their way of life or maintain their own relatively good situation. Marriage is their only way to survive in the cruel world. In regard to married women, their activities are mostly confined within the narrow domestic world. They try to play the role of “the Angle of the family”. Their responsibilities should be centered on the home and contributed daily and hourly to comfort of husbands, parents, brothers, sisters and children. In the domestic life, they are expected to be obedient to their husbands and care of their children. They have never had a mind or a wish of their own. It’s tragic for women in that period. Obviously, it is a luxury for women to marry on basis of love. Compared with charlotte, Elizabeth is lucky. However, Charlotte is in general satisfactory. Marriage has always been her object. She is satisfied to get the role of the Angle of the family.
3.2 Internal Factors
3.2.1 The Character of Lydia
Lydia is the youngest daughter in Bennets. She enters the social circle at a young age. She inherits her mother’s beauty. But she also inherits her mother’s silliness and vanity. She becomes more frivolous because of his father’s irresponsibility and her mother neglection. Although she is just fifteen years old, her mind is filled with love, and she knows how to get admiration from others. When Meryton comes some officers, she would go there and tempt them. Lydia has been called “highly sexed” by at least one critic. She lacks any sense of virtue, propriety or good-judgment, as seen in her elopement with Wickham. She is deceived by Wickham’s appearance of goodness and virtue. She even believes that he wants to marry her. Actually he just wants to have a woman accompanying him for the purpose of sex. She is so stupid and silly .She is careless about herself and her reputation. .All of the novel, Lydia was Lydia still. She feels never shyness and regrets about her behavior. “Well, mamma,” said she, when they are all returned to the breakfast room,” and why do you think of my husband? Is not a charming man? I am sure my sisters must all envy me. I only hope they may have half my good luck.” At last, Wickham has to marry her because Darcy gives lots of money to Lydia. Her characters influence her matrimonial value to marriage. Her marriage is based on the beauty and lust and money. Finally she is not happy because Wickham begins to go round with another girl.
3.2.2 The Character of Charlotte
Charlotte is Elizabeth’s intimate friend. She is very sensible, intelligent girl, but not beautiful and rich. She remains single until she is 27 years old. She is a practical girl. Charlotte has good observation and judgment. After the first ball, Charlotte exchanges ideas with Elizabeth. As they talk about Darcy, she indicates a reasonable analysis towards Darcy’s pride. “His pride,” said Miss Lucas, because there is an excuse for it. One can not wonder that find a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favor, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has the right to be proud.” Elizabeth also agrees with her words. When they talk Jane and Bingley, she said that it maybe not good thing for a girl to conceal her affection, because in that case she may lose her happiness. It actually proves that Charlotte’s judgment is correct. As a sensible girl, marriage has always been her object. it’s also the good choice for well-educated young women of small fortune. Considering her own situation, Charlotte accepts Collins’ proposal, Mr. Collins is not a conceited and foolish young man. Any woman who marries Collins, a conceited, pompous, narrow- minded, silly man, can’t have a proper way of thinking. Charlotte knows that what kind of Mr. Collins really is. She thinks that at the age of 27 years old, without ever having been handsome. She feels all the good luck of it. As she explains to Elizabeth, “I am not romantic, you know. I never was, I ask for only a comfortable home; and considering Mr Collin’s character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as far as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.” (Austen, 2003:170) so she chooses a man she doesn’t love. Mothers choose the husband for their daughters not because the man’s quality but the property. At the beginning of the novel the only thing we know about Mr Binngley is a man with a lot of money, but Mrs Bennet has already thought that he is one of her daughter’s husband. If Mr Bennet dies, Mrs Bennet and her daughters are homeless. There is no wonder that the marriage centers no feeling but only financial condition. Mrs Bennet represents the state of mind for “genteel parents” in that period. Her character makes Charlotte choose to accept Mr Collins’ proposal. Her matrimonial value is also some role model of that period. People always think it is the best choice for women. Her marriage is on the basis of money. It is tragic of women in that period.
3.2.3 Character of Elizabeth
Elizabeth is intelligent and confident and a keen insight. She has own judgment toward everything. Lydia is invited to Briton by Mrs Forster. Lydia is overwhelmed with joy, but Elizabeth secretly advises her father not let her go. She shows all the improprieties of Lydia’s general behavior. She worries about her sisters and whole family. So she asks her father to do something to stop Lydia, unfortunately, her father doesn’t adopt her advice. In the end, Elizabeth’s worry comes true. Lydia elopes with Wickham. It proves that Elizabeth has a keen insight. Elizabeth is singled out by his father because she has something more of quickness than his sisters. When she asks Darcy to account for his having ever fallen in love with her, he replies that he admires her liveliness of her mind. Darcy begins to be attracted to Elizabeth because “the beautiful expression of her dark eyes” rendered her face “uncommonly intelligent” Mr Bennet and Mr Darcy like Elizabeth for her mind. She is represented as very bright, quick to observe, and quick to form judgment. In some cases she makes wrong judgment for Mr Darcy. She likes to communicate with those with equal mental talent. So she chooses Charlotte as her particular friend. Darcy is attracted by Elizabeth because they are equal intellectual. The debating scenes show the linguistic equality of the speakers. Through their modification which they give each other, they achieve self-recognition and mutual understanding. It proves that her intelligence requires their marriage should be equal in the intelligence. She is also wise. She doesn’t oppose the rich material life. When she first saw the beautiful scene of Pemberhey, she could not help think “They were all of them warm in their admiration; and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!” (Austen, 2003:327) When she visited the park of Darcy, She also could not help saying “and of this place, I might have been mistress with these rooms I might now have been familiarly acquainted! Instead of viewing them as a stranger, I might have rejoiced in them as my own, and welcomed to them as visitors uncle and aunt.” (Austen, 2003:329) She doesn’t know what kind of people Darcy is, she would have regretted her refusal to Darcy’ proposal. Although her marriage is not based on the economy, property is necessary for women at that period. As a wise woman, she knows this point. Elizabeth later describes her happiness in being with Darcy, “I am happier even than Jane; Jane only smiles, I laugh.” and declared that they “are to be the happiest couple in the world”. Because their marriage is not only base on the love and free from the anxiety about finance but also the union of the two intellectual equals. |
