“. . . the death of your daughter would have been a blessing . . .” (286)

The Bennet family is concerned that Lydia has run off with Wickham not only because of his reputation, but also because of what a relationship out of wedlock could do to their daughter’s as well as their own. In Austen’s time, as Mary says on page 280, “the loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable, that one false step involves her in endless ruin.” Now that Lydia has publicly been in a relationship with the man, she has no option but to marry him so as to avoid the social consequences. This is significant because, even though she had an independent moment in running away with him, she is now forced into marriage. Were she to not marry him, death may have been favorable to her future prospects as “damaged goods” – goods that another man was unlikely to marry.

“From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. - Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never

Mr. Bennet defies convention by telling Elizabeth that he agrees with her and does not want her to marry her distant cousin, despite the fact that he would provide her with security in the future. In Austen’s time, women were generally expected to seize any such chance that came their way – and if they were unwilling, usually they were forced into it. As half of an unhappy couple, Mr. Bennet wants to avoid this situation for his strong-willed daughter. Because he wants her to be happy, he supports her unwillingness to enter into such a union. This is significant because of how far from normal it was at the time. Mr. Bennet respects his daughter’s opinions (she is clearly his favorite because she is so different from her man-obsessed mother and sisters) and therefore he supports her decision to not marry by in fact refusing to allow her to do so. Because of the patriarchal system at the time, her father’s refusal closes the door to the possibility of a union even if Elizabeth were willing.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” (5)

Austen lays out a thesis statement of sorts in the opening line of Pride and Prejudice. The idea that a man must want a wife is one that is supported with examples and proven throughout the novel – just as the thesis statement of an essay must be proven before its conclusion. In this case, the thesis is proven through the Bennet sisters’ search for husbands. This is significant because of how universal the truth is: the girls are all very different, as are their future husbands, but yet the idea of wanting to marry is one that they all share.

Social Classes

If it weren’t for social classes, the central drama of Austen’s novel would not be possible because they all center on these distinctions. For example, the Bennets are decidedly middle class, something of which they are frequently reminded by the upper class Bingleys. Even Mr. Collins – a man of the cloth to whom classes should have no meaning (because religion teaches that God loves the poor and the rich alike) – is obsessed with social status. This is shown with his singular focus on Lady Catherine and pleasing her. Without classes, there would have been no reason for anyone to object to the union between Darcy and Elizabeth, because he would not be “above her.”

“. . . his debts of honor . . .” (287)

Debts of honor are those an individual owes to his peers, like those incurred while gambling. They are considered something more serious than debts owed to a bank or store owner because there is generally no legal backing to force the debtor to pay up – payment depends on his dependability and morality to do what is right. The fact that Mr. Wickham has such “formidable” debts of honor shows that not only is he irresponsible by excessively gambling, but also that he is of questionable character if he is making no efforts to repay these debts. Austen uses this fact to imply that welcoming Wickham into the family does not bode well for the Bennets, who he is likely to leach of off in a similar manner.

Source:

"Debt of Honour - Definition of Debt of Honour by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia." Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/debt+of+honour.

“Had Elizabeth’s opinion been all drawn from her own family, she could not have formed a very pleasing picture of conjugal felicity or domestic comfo

Through this quote, Austen shows just how much of an outsider Elizabeth is in her own family. While her sisters are weak, docile women looking for men to provide for them, Elizabeth is strong-willed enough to look search for happiness and love – even after growing up in a home where that is clearly not seen as the point of marriage.

“. . . knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty. . .” (19)

Because he is the mayor, Mr. Lucas has had the opportunity to be knighted, becoming Sir Lucas while his wife assumes the title of Lady Lucas. However, in Jane Austen’s time, a knight does not pass on his title to his heirs. Even though Lady Lucas and Lady Catherine have the same title of lady, the latter is still superior to the former because her title is inherited. This is more prestigious and further exaggerates the myriad social distinctions of life at that time.

Source:

“Susannah Carleton - Ranks, Titles, and Forms of Address." Susannah Carleton, Regency Author. Web. 14 Mar. 2010. http://www.susannahcarleton.com/rankstitlesaddress.html.