淺議《傲慢與偏見》中賓利和簡的婚姻

淺議《傲慢與偏見》中賓利和簡的婚姻

Abstract:ThisarticlegenerallyanalysesthemarriageofBingleyandJane.TheauthorthinksthatBingleyandJanehavemanysimilaritiesintheircharacters,whichleadthemtoasuccessfulmarriagealthoughtheyalllackstrengthintheirmarriage.TheauthoralsopointsoutthatBingleyandJanemarriedforlove,notforthemoney,statusorgoodlooks.Sothecombinationofthemisreallyablessedandhappymarriage.

Keywords:Marriage,Love,Interests,happy

Content

JaneAusten(1775-1817),whowasbornatSteventononDecember16,1775,wasoneofthegreatestnovelistsinEngland.Shewastheyoungestofsevenchildreninherfamily.Shereceivedmostofhereducationathome.Herfamilyareallfondofreadingbooks,whichinfluencedherverymuch.Herreadingextendedlittlebeyondtheliteratureoftheeighteenthcentury,andwithinthatperiodsheadmiredDr.Johnsonparticularly.AndlatershewasdelightedwithboththepoetryandproseofScott.ShediedonJuly18,1817,andwasburiedinthecathedralinWinchester.Shetotallywrotesixnovelsinherlife.Amongthesixnovels,PrideandPrejudicehasbeenvaluedasthemostsuccessfulandpopularmasterpiece.Inthisnovel,JaneAustenmainlydescribedtheordinarylifeoftheBennets.Shetoldusfourdifferentmarriagestoshowthereadersthatdifferentpeoplehavedifferentattitudestowardslove.Andalsosheexpressedherownviewpointsonmarriagethatacombinationbasedonloveandsimilarinterestsisahappyandperfectmarriage.Inheropinion,themoney-orientedmarriageandsex-orientedmarriagearenotsuccessfulalthoughthepeoplecanlivetogether.Thethemeisnarrow,butsheshowedusabeautifultableauoftheEnglandpeople’slifeofherowntime.Itseemsthatshehadatalenttodescribetheordinarylifeofpeople.

“Readagain,andforthethirdtimeatleast,MissAusten‘sveryfinelywrittennovelofPrideandPrejudice.ThatyoungladyhasatalentfordescribingtheinvolvementsandfeelingsandcharactersofordinarylifewhichistomethemostwonderfulIevermetwith.”1

Becauseofthelackofherexperiencesandknowledge,thecharactersinPrideandPrejudiceareallofherownsocialclass:Theladiesandgentlemenofthelandedgentry.Andalso,ineveryconversation,therewasatleastonelady.

“Theconversationsofladieswithladies,orofladiesandgentlementogether,aregiven,butnoinstanceoccursofasceneinwhichmenonlyarepresent.”2

Mostpartsofthestoryaretheintricaciesofcourtshipsandmarriagesbetweenthemembersofherclass,whicharegreatattractiontomanyreaders.

Amongallthemarriagesinthisnovel,thecombinationofpleasantBingleyandmildJaneisthemostblessedandhappyone.Thecouplehassimilarinterestsandtheyinsistedonpursuingtheirtruelove,whichleadthemtoahappyandperfectmarriage.

Mr.Bingleywasagoodlookingandgentlemanlikepersonwhoserevenueswereabout5,000poundsayear.Asayoungmanwhohadgoodbreeding,hewascordialandsimplewitheasily-leddisposition.Withthischaracter,heneverappeareddissatisfied.Hewaseasytoapproachandconstantinlovealthoughhewasveryrich.However,helackedstrengthandindependenceinhismarriage,whichwasagrievousdefectofhim.Inthenovel,Bingleywaspopularwithalmosteverybodyineverywhere.Hehadapleasantcountenanceandeasyunaffectedmanners.Itiseasytofindthathewasagreeablebothinappearanceandcharacter.ThefirstappearanceofBingleywasthetimewhenhe“returnedMr.Benner’svisit,andsatabouttenminuteswithhiminhislibrary.”3Buttheexacttimewhenthereadersbegantoknowhimwassomedayslater.AtthefirstballatNetherfield,hewasshowntoeverybodyandthereadersbegantomakeacquaintanceofhispersonalitythroughhisbehavior.

“Mr.Bingleyhadsoonmadehimselfacquaintedwithalltheprincipalpeopleintheroom;hewaslivelyandunreserved,dancedeverydance,wasangrythattheballclosedsoearly,andtalkedofgivingonehimselfatNetherfield.Suchamiablequalitiesmustspeakforthemselves.”4

OfcoursethesepersonalstrengthwonJane’sadmiration.Shethoughtthathewasjustwhatayoungmanoughttobe.Inhereyes,Mr.Bingleywasasensible,good-humored,livelyyoungman.Andshehadneverseenanyonewhohadsomanyadvantageswithperfectgoodbreeding!HewasjustherMr.Right!Atthatball,

“Bingley’sattentionstoJanehadgivenrisetoageneralexpectationoftheirmarriage.Hespokeofitasacertainevent,ofwhichthetimealonecouldbeundecided.”5

Mr.BingleyalsonoticedJaneatthatnight.HefellinlovewithJaneattheirfirstballandtheirromanceflourishedquietlyandsteadily.HisaffectiontowardsJanewasobviouslysincereandunaffected.ItwasobviousthatwhenJanesufferedatriflingcold,hewasworriedabouther.Hisanxietyandattentiontoherwasevident.Forexample,whenElizabethsaidthatshecouldn’tleavehersisterbecauseJane’sillnesswasworse,“BingleyurgedMr.Jones’sbeingsentforimmediately.”6and“Bingleywasquiteuncomfortable.”7Thefollowingsentencesalsoaretheevidences:

“butdiffusenessandwarmthremainedforBingley’ssalutation.Hewasfullofjoyandattention.Thefirsthalfhourwasspentinpilingupthefire,lestsheshouldsufferfromthechangeofroom;andsheremovedathisdesiretotheothersideofthefire-place,thatshemightbefartherfromthedoor.Hethensatdownbyher,andtalkedscarcelytoanyoneelse.”8

ItisnotdifficultforthereaderstofindBingley’srealconcernandaffectiontowardsJanefromthesedetails.Hewascordialandconstantinhislove.

Asapleasantandmodestperson,Mr.Bingleywasfarfromthemanwhowasstronganddetermined.Thisishismeritbutalsohisdemerit.HiscordialandsimplecharacterleadstohisquietromancewithJane.Buthisweakandeasily-ledcharacterleadstohispartingwithJane.Sowhentheirromancewentsmoothly,hesuddenlydepartedfromJane,whichnearlyendshishappyloveandmarriage.

Generallyspeaking,hisdeparturefromJanewascausedbytherelationshipbetweenhimandDarcy.Theyweregoodfriendsalthoughtheyweredifferentincharacter.Betweenthemtherewasaverysteadyandconstantfriendship.BingleywasendearedtoDarcybytheeasiness,opennessandductilityofhistemper.ItisnodoubtforDarcythatBingleyhadthefirmestreliance.ForDarcy,hewantedtohelphisfriend.Inhisopinion,itisimpossibleforJanetoloveBingley.SohepersuadedBingleynottotakeJaneinmarriage.ThispointcanbefoundfromhislettertoElizabeth:

“Her(Jane)lookandmannerswereopen,cheerful,andengagingasever,butwithoutanysymptomofpeculiarregard,andIremainedconvincedfromtheevening’sscrutiny,thatthoughshereceivedhisattentionswithpleasure,shedidnotinvitethembyanyparticipationofsentiment.”9

ForBingley,hehadaneasily-ledtemper.Hewassomodestandpliablethathehadnoopinionabouthisownmarriage.NomatterhowobvioushisattachmenttoJanewas,hebelievedDarcy’srepresentationofJane’sindifferencewastrue.BecauseMr.Bingley’stwosistersdidn’tlikeJane,theythoughtMr.BingleyshouldchooseGeorgiana(Darcy’ssister)ashiswife.SotheyalsodisagreewithBingleyabouthismarriagewithJane.UndertheinfluencesofhissistersandMr.Darcy,BingleybegantodoubtJane’saffectiontohim.Finally,hethoughtJanedidn’tlovehim,soheleftherwithoutsayinggood-bye.Later,whenallthemisunderstandingsclarified,hecamebacktoJaneatDarcy’sassistance.Bingley’sindecisivecharacterdetermineshishappinessandresultsthathislifewascontrolledbyothers.

Janewasthefirstchildreninherfamily.Shewasakindandmildgirlwhowasthemostbeautifuloneamonghersisters.Asanintrovertedgirl,sheisconstantinherlovebutlacksstrengthandself-confidence.Shedidn’twantotherstoknowherlovetoMr.Bingley,soshepretendedthatshehadnothingtodowithhim.Comparedwithothergirls,shewasthemostmild,kind,modestandalmostperfectgirlinthisnovel.Sometimesshewasalittleinnocent.Inhereyes,everybodyisperfect.Sheneversawtheuglyfactoflifeevenshewasdeceived.Hercharacterisvividlyshowedinmanypartsofthenovel.“Complimentsalwaystakeyou(Jane)bysurprise,andme(Elizabeth)never”10and

“Oh,You(Jane)areagreatdealtooaptyouknow,tolikepeopleingeneral,youneverseeafaultinanybody,alltheworldaretoogoodandagreeableinyoureyes.I(Elizabeth)neverheardyouspeakillofahumanbeinginmylife.”11

Accordingtothis,readerscanfindthathowkindandinnocentJanewas.AndalsoitisquitenaturalforJanetofallinlovewiththepleasantandsimpleBingley.Shemethimattheball,andafterthen,sheadoredBingleyverymuch.Butwithherintrovertedandtranquildisposition,Janecontrolledherpassiontoomuch,whichnearlyconsumedherfelicity.AlthoughshelovedMr.Bingleyaftertheball,shehadnocouragetoexpressit.Shecherishedherfeelingstowardshim,butshechosetoconcealit.Shedidn’tdisplayhertruefeelings.Onthecontrary,shecontrolledherpassiontothebestofherability,lestanyonefindit.Sheonlyshowedgenteelpleasureandpolitenessalthoughherheartwasflutteringwithromanticpassion.Inasense,herattitudetowardslovewaspassive.

Accordingtotheabove,DarcythoughtthatthoughJanewaspleasedwithBingley,shedidn’tlovehim.HethoughtJane’s

“countenanceandairwassuchasmighthavegiventhemostacuteobserveraconvictionthat,howeveramiablehertemper,herheartwasnotlikelytobeeasilytouched.”12

Inhiseyes,Bingleywasinvolvedinanunavailablelove.Soafterthen,hemadegreateffortstoseparateBingleyfromJane.

AfterBingley’sdeparture,Janesufferedgreatdistress.Shewasverydepressed.Butbecauseofthedefectofhercharacter,shepretendedtobeallrightandsaidnothingabouthersadness.Here,readerscanfindthatherweaknessandobediencehadbeenthoroughlyexposed.

Inthenovel,BingleyandJaneneverstoppedpursuingtheirtruelovealthoughthereweresomanyobstaclesbetweenthem.Fortunately,withthehelpofDarcyandElizabeth,theyfinallygotmarriedandhadahappylife.BingleyandJanehadmanysimilaritiesintheircharacters,whichisthemainreasontothesuccessoftheirmarriage.Theypossessedpersonalattractivenessanddignity,socialgraces,andameasureofgoodsense.Theyallhadgoodbreeding,butlackedinsight,strength,andself-confidence.Theydidn’tshowtheirinsideseasilytothepublicsbecausetheycaredthesocialcriticismtoomuch.ForJane,shealwaysconcealedhertruefeelings,whichgaveothersaillusionthatshedidn’tloveBingley.ForBingley,heyieldedeasilytocriticismofJane’ssocialpositionandeasilyacceptedthesuggestionsofhissistersandDarcy,whichalmostconsumedthefelicitybetweenJaneandhim.Inmannerofspeaking,theoutsideforcesfacilitatedtheirmarriage.

AccordingtotherelationshipbetweenBingleyandJane,loveandsimilarinterestsarethebasicfactorsofasuccessfulandhappymarriage.Withmanysimilaritiesincharacter,peoplecanunderstandeachothereasily.Mostimportantofall,thecouplewithsimilarinterestscanlivetogeth