the trouble with marriage

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice the most important topic to theme and character development throughout the novel is that of courtship and marriage. From the very first chapter; the very first line, in fact, you see that this is a novel about the surmounting obstacles of courtship and the levels of difficulty in achieving romantic happiness, for it is well-stated that “it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession …

…he is. The only marriage left unresolved as to whether is was a success or not is that of Elizabeth and Darcy. There is question whether or not they take after Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle or her mother and father. They symbolize the typical American marriage. It is far from settling but at the same time not ideal and it is clear that they have less than the most pure of ambitions for marriage.