傲慢與偏見主題分析

PrideandPrejudiceTheme

1、ThemeofLoveInPrideandPrejudice,loveisnotanecessarycomponentofmarriage.Inthisnovel,romanticloveisaprivilegethatmostpeoplehavetodowithoutandsomethingthatmostpeopledonotexpecttofind.Atthesametime,becauseloveisaunionbetweenempatheticminds,itisshowntobeacompletelyspecialemotionthatisavailableonlyforintelligent,matureadults–it'sthecrowningachievementinthebuildingofcharacter.

2、ThemeofMarriagePrideandPrejudicequestionstheextremelyhighvaluethatAusten'ssocietyplacedonmarriageastheonlypossibleeconomicsecurityforwomenwhoarenotindependentlywealthy.ByshowingusthemiserablemarriageoftheBennets,andbygrossingusoutwiththemercenarymarriagesofCharlotteandLydia,thenovelquestionsasystemwhichplacessomuchimportanceonthisinstitutionthatitseemstoendangerindividualmoralityandhappiness.Ontheotherhand,withthemarriagesofJaneandElizabethfrontandcenter,thenoveldoesallowroomforgoodpartnershipaswell.3、ThemeofWealthWealthiscruciallyimportantinPrideandPrejudice,sincethegeneralplotrevolvesaroundthefactthatthefiveBennetdaughterswillhavenowayoffinanciallysupportingthemselvesoncetheirfatherdiesandtheirhouseishandedovertoMr.Collins.Thereisalmostnoconversationaboutpotentialspousesthatdoesn'talsocalculatetheannualincomethatthepairmighthavetoliveon.Severalcharactersareevenopenlygold-diggerswhenitcomestofindingaspouse.4、ThemeofSocietyandClassDarcy'scharacterarcistobecometheultimategentleman–hestartsoutwealthy,aristocratic,andgood-hearted,andlearnstoaddgoodmannersandsociabilitytothemix.Conversely,althoughWickhamseemstohavetheouterpolishofanaristocrat,heisproventobethoroughlyungentlemanly.(Andbelieveitornot,that'soneofthemoreseriousinsultscharacterslobateachotherinthenovel.)Itisthesamewiththefemalecharacters,whosebehavioranddecorumimmediatelymarksthemaseitherupperorlowerclass.AlthoughbothJaneandElizabethcrossclasslinestogetmarried,thegeneralideaisthattheyarealmostaristocraticalready.5、ThemeofWomenandFemininityAlthoughPrideandPrejudicebeginswiththeanonymousfigureofarich,singleman,thenovelisactuallyconcernedwiththeplightofthepoor(OK,middle-class),singlewoman.Mostofthewomenweseehere(theBennetgirls,CharlotteLucas)arecaughtinabind.Thesegirlsaretoohighclasstogetjobs(jobsaren'treallyanoptionforproperyoungladiesinearly19th-centuryEngland),butnothighclassenoughtoinheritwealthtosupportthemselves.Basicallythesewomenhavetwooptions:weddingbellsorpenny-pinchingoldmaidhood.PrideandPrejudiceoffersusalookintothisratherintenselyfeminineworldofcourting,marriagedecisions,andsocialrealities.6、ThemeofFamilyWeallhavefamiliesthatembarrassustosomeextent,buttheBennetfamilytakesittoawholenewlevel,creatingendlessproblemsforthetwoeldestBennetdaughters.Likethem,lovethem,orhatethem,though,youcan'tescapefamilyinPrideandPrejudice.Worse,yourfamily'sbehaviorreflectsuponyou.Ifyoursisterrunsoffwithascoundrel,societywillholdyouinlessesteem.Conversely,ifyoursistermarrieswell,societywillholdyouinbetteresteem.FamilyinPrideandPrejudice,therefore,affectsyouropportunitiesandlifechancesinaveryrealway.Thereisaverypopularsentenceamongyoungbeautifulgirls:IprefertocryinaBMWcartolaughingonthebicycle.ButIdon’tthinkthese