Part Four: Meaning of the Work as a Whole

Source: Random Musings

Hello and welcome back to another blog post! I can now officially say that I have completed reading Pride and Prejudice, and that it was definitely nice and satisfying to see a happy ending. Today in my blog post, I will be discussing the meaning of the work as a whole, how this meaning is developed, and briefly looking at thematic ideas and relevancy. I hope you enjoy reading!

❦ Part Four: Meaning of the Work as a Whole ❦

In this final section, we are able to see closure for almost all of the main and side characters: Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are now happily married, Mr. Wickham and Mrs. Wickham (Lydia) are debt free -but slyly asking Elizabeth for money-, Mrs. Bennet is satisfied that most of her children are married, and Mr. Bingley and Jane live only thirty miles away from Elizabeth.

Besides the mean Lady Catherine who despises the marriage of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, everyone essentially receives a happy conclusion for themselves, which is a satisfying contrast from the other novels that we have read in the class. It was nice not having to read a completely open ended ending (Handmaid's Tale), or an ending in which two main characters plummet off a cliff (Song of Solomon),  or even one where the main character hangs himself (Brave New World).

All great novels, regardless.

It is a nice change to read a book of literary merit and not feel somewhat mortified at the end, but still understand and reflect on the deeper meaning. Actually, because there is an expected ending, it somewhat fortifies the larger meaning of the novel.

In my previous blog posts, I believed that the intentions made by Jane Austen were to criticize  marriage as not being an act of love, but as being a mutual agreement for personal benefit. However after reaching the end of the novel and reflecting on Austen's work, I realize that in some ways I am missing a portion to this idea: personal benefits aren't always a bad and shallow reason for marriage.

Even though Mr. Bingley and Jane do not truly love each other, they are happier and better off because they are together. You could even look into Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's relationship-- they may have differentiating opinions, but they have a successful marriage because of how much they love their children. Both examples show happy and mostly healthy relationships, but their marriages are very different. Actually, every couple in the novel has a different reason for marriage.

While you could argue that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's marriage is the most successful because they truly love each other, I can't deny the fact that the other couples in the story still receive and deserve a happy ending too. In some ways, best self-interest is shown in a positive light instead of a frequent negative light.

This is most likely one of the main reasons why this novel is still so successful in our modern society; marriage is still considered an important part of our culture and lifestyle. Until the concept of marriage becomes extinct (like in Brave New World), readers will still relate to and deeply connect with the meaning that Pride and Prejudice conveys.

You could especially compare and contrast the works of Brave New World and Pride and Prejudice in the sense that they have similar meanings, but different ways of conveying it. Pride and Prejudice shows the pursuit of happiness through specifically marriage, while Brave New World shows this  pursuit differently through the need for a balance in both happiness and knowledge.

 However, in contrast, Brave New World shows this in extremes: John from the reservation is miserable but knowledgeable, while the population of the modern society is carefree but oblivious. Pride and Prejudice shows this happy medium between the two extremes that Brave New World shows. The ending of Pride and Prejudice shows all of the characters finding happiness, but not creating for themselves the "perfect life". The Wickhams are not wealthy, Lady Catherine still hates Elizabeth, and not all of the Bennet daughters are married off just yet. While the two novels are starkly different in plot, time period, and context, they both interestingly show similar opinions on the fact that a balanced amount of happiness is best.

This concludes my analysis on the meaning of the work as a whole and the ending to the novel. I have a tradition with myself that every time I finish a book, I try and find/compare the movie version. My mom has been dying to watch it with me, so after my last blog post, you know where I'll be.

Hope you enjoyed reading :)
-Lily

Citations:

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. The Modern Library, 2000.