傲慢与偏见
Thefirstsentenceinthisbookisimpressive.Itreads:“Itisatruthwellknowntoalltheworldthatanunmarriedmaninpossessionofalargefortunemustbeinneedofawife”.Theundertoneisveryclear:thefoundationofthemarriageatthattimeisnotemotionbutpossession.
PeoplealwaysthinkthatAustenwasanexpertattellinglovestories.Infact,themarriageinherbookisnottheresultoflove,buttheresultofeconomicneeds.Afterreadingthisbook,Iknowthetruthisthatapoorwomanmustbeinneedofahusband,awealthyman.
Icouldn’tforgethoweagerMrs.Bennetwantstomarryoffherdaughters.Ifyouwanttoknowwhysheissocrazyaboutthesethings,ImustmentionthesituationinBritainatthattime.Onlytheeldestsonhadtheprivilegeofinheritinghisfather’spossessions.Youngersonsanddaughterswhoareusedtoluxuriousliveshavenochoicebutmarryamanorwomaninpossessionofalargefortunetocontinuetheircomfortablelives.Thus,wecanseethatgettingmarriedisawaytobecomewealthier,particularlyforwomenwithoutmanypossessions.JaneAustentoldusthatmoneyandpossessiondeterminedeverything,includingmarriageandloveinhercentury.
In“PrideandPrejudice”,thesisterofMr.BingleystronglyopposedhisplanofmarryingJanebecausetheBennetsdon’thavemanypossessionsandtheirsocialpositionsaremuchlowerthanthem.Fromthis,wecanseetherearealotofobstaclesforanotveryrichwomantomarryawealthyhusband.Thesociety,therelativeswouldnotallowthemtogetmarried.
Inmodernsociety,althoughthemarriagesofeconomicneedshavedecreasedrapidly,theconceptof“moneydetermineseverything”isstillrootedinsomepeople’smind.Alotofparentstryhardtointerferetheirchildren’smarriages.Educationbackground,possessions,jobsremainsthemainreasonthatmayinfluenceone’smarriage.Marryformoneyisstillabigprobleminoursociety.Wecan’thelpthinking:canmoneydetermineeverything?