Themes of Marriage Contained in Two Novels: Pride and Prejudice and Our Mutual Friend

Proposing marriage may be similar yet different in many aspects. Such is the case in the passages spoken by some major characters in two literary novels Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen and Our Mutual Friend written by Charles Dickens. When compared making use of relevant “thesis statement” handout, the given passage in each novels tried to convey that a marriage is driven by superficial and sincere love.

The major ways by which the passages spoken by the speakers may be compared are as follows – 1) Arguments: In the marriage proposal to Pride and Prejudice’s Ms. Elizabeth Bannet, Mr. Collins seem to suggest that love does not always dictate marriage, especially when he said in line 5 that marriage will add happiness to him, such that: “… I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness …” while in Charles Dickens’ Bradley Heddstone, marriage should be moved by love as in line 11-12, “But if you would return a favourable answer to my offer of my self in marriage, you could draw me to any good - - every good - - with equal force.”

2) Assumptions: Mr. Collins addressed a number of reasons why a woman’s reputation is important as in the line 15 which says, “(chuse) a gentlewoman for my sake; and for your own, let her be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up high, but able to make a small income go a good way” while Bradley Heddstone only once in line 25, “I only add that if it is any claim on you to be in earnest, I am in thorough earnest, dreadful earnest."