Comparing Marriage In Pride And Prejudice And Habitation By Margaret Atwood

And do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for love… or just for security and wealth? Many people have very different views on marriage. In Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, many characters disagree about what marriage should be. Some believe there should be happiness and love in a marriage, and others believe happiness is simply a matter of chance. In the poem “Habitation,” Margaret Atwood uses literary techniques such as symbolism and metaphors to show that the idea of marriage is sugar-coated, and a marriage takes work and upkeep to sustain happiness. Both of these pieces of literature have very unique views on marriage. Pride and Prejudice shows many different views on marriage. Many of the characters in the novel would agree that marrying is a practical choice, and should be done for security. Charlotte Lucas and Mrs. Bennet both especially believe this. Mrs. Bennet’s ultimate goal for her daughters is to have them married. She states, “If I can see but one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield, and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for.” Mrs. Bennet believes that once her daughters …show more content…
In the novel, Elizabeth understands there must be love in a marriage for it to be successful. Her father, Mr. Bennet wants her to be happy in marriage; this is evident when he refuses to tell Elizabeth she must marry Mr. Collins. In the poem, the last line is “we are learning to make fire.” The fire represents love, the couple in the poem must work and “make fire” to achieve love. Like this couple, Elizabeth and her father wish for Elizabeth to work to achieve love and happiness before marriage so she can be happy. Both writings want to achieve love and happiness by their work of “making