The Proposals of Upperclassmen to Settle for Marriage in the Novel Passages of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens
How it works
Jane Austen’s and Charles Dickens’ novel passages both feature proposals from upper-class men settling for marriage. Austen’s character clumsily proposes to his cousin, with the intent of marriage as a social obligation, while Dickens’ character proposes by describing the challenges he has encountered and will overcome if they marry.
Jane Austen’s character possesses a pretentious personality. He presumes his cousin will say “yes” to his proposal because of his status. The motivation for marriage is socially charged through his practice as a clergyman — it is his duty “to set the example of matrimony in his parish.
” There is no romantic emotion guiding this proposal. In fact, he states the woman addressed is “acceptable.” His standard for a future wife is based on impressing his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, whom he constantly compliments in the presence of his proposee. He cites Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s suggestions as his true motive behind his proposal, warning his cousin that when Elizabeth Bennet’s wit and vivacity are “tempered with the silence and respect which her rank will inevitably excite,” she would need to restrict her opinions from their usual frankness. He practically states she is beneath his patroness and must keep silent out of respect and awe. His overconfidence in the proposee’s acceptance leads him to believe he doesn’t have to woo her and states how she is merely “acceptable to him.” All these factors connive to ensure his proposal is rejected. He insults his cousin by comparing her unfavorably to his patroness and openly acknowledges his social pressure to marry.
The character in Charles Dickens’ novel makes a desperate proposal, using flowery language to camouflage an internal conflict. Beginning with a romantically charged declaration of a hard-fought love, he reveals he has been “under the influence of some tremendous attraction which I have resisted in vain”. This struggle has led to his present confusion of thoughts. However, this creative sentence harbors a deeper meaning, posing the rhetorical questions: “Why did he have to resist his love?” and “Is his love simply a materialistic lust, or is it substantial?” Initially, he intended to portray his commitment to the proposal similar to a knight vanquishing a dragon for his maiden’s honor. Unfortunately, his pursuits’ shortcomings reveal that his cause is not noble, but selfish, because of her implied lower social status. Dickens provides evidence of this in his writing when the character first attempts to say “I would go and do anything with you,” but instead belittles her, stating “you could draw me to exposure and disgrace.” His poorly executed proposal then attempts to bribe the bride by referencing his good relations with members of her family, hoping the romantic language masks the harsh, condescending tone of his proposal and secures her agreement to his “earnest” offer of marriage.
The men in both novels, through their own personal intents, fail to propose in a manner that is enveloped in love. Austen’s novel features a pretentious man who appears to hold more affection for his patroness than the woman he is proposing to, while Dickens’ novel unveils a condescending lover more in love with himself.
The Proposals of Upperclassmen to Settle for Marriage in the Novel Passages of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. (2022, Nov 23). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/the-proposals-of-upperclassmen-to-settle-for-marriage-in-the-novel-passages-of-jane-austen-and-charles-dickens/
