Throughout the novel, there is a large underlying theme in the different types of marriages occurring through the main characters. For example, Charlotte marries out of convenience; Mr. Collins brings her many things that are valued in this time. While it is partially frowned upon, especially by Elizabeth, there is also a certain amount of respect that comes with the marriage because it leads Charlotte into a wealthier lifestyle. In contrast, Elizabeth's story is more unrealistic. She is able to marry, not only improving her social standing/ class, but also, out of actual love. This parallel is essential to the story and it's theme because it outlines the reality, Charlotte's case, and the unrealistic case for this time period, Elizabeth's case. Marriage wasn't always something of love in this time period and it was much more focused on the who you were marrying and what they have. I believe this results in Mrs. Bennet's erratic behavior when it comes to marrying off her daughters because she understood this concept (obviously, more than we do). For Mrs. Bennet, marrying her daughters was so important because the Bennet family is a family of enough class where their daughters will never work but, they have to marry into a higher class to have any sort of inheritance and well-off life.
I think this novel easily connects to the previous books we’ve discussed in class because they all have a certain emphasis on class systems and wealth, and even, Little Women had relatable factors when it comes to the role of women in society. Having seen these repeating themes throughout this semester makes me wonder why they values were so emphasized in the past, and why they are still significant and important to be teaching to teenagers. I understand the emphasis on morals but I believe the emphasis on class systems and wealth is very irrelevant. I have been able to gain a better understanding of some of my experiences, and understand were I guess some pretentious wealthy stem from but overall, I don't see a huge relevance in continuing teaching teenagers novels that all represent the same values.
I agree that the values portrayed in Pride and Prejudice are very similar to those shown in Little Women. While reading, I was able to draw many parallels between the two books. First off, they both were based off of families with only daughters who were encouraged by their family and society to marry a man with higher social status. While neither family was poor in the two novels, they were looked down upon by the upper class, and characters from each book wanted to increase their social status. Additionally, in both novels the oldest child marries for love; Jane in Pride and Prejudice and Meg in Little Women, and one of the daughters in each book marries seemingly for convenience. As you mention, Charlotte marries Collins out of convenience, not love, and this is similar to when Alcott marries Amy to Laurie for seemingly no other reason than to have them each end up with someone. I also agree with your statement that the emphasis on differing classes and wealth is a recurring theme within the novels. I feel as though this theme may be in place to show that class is unimportant when faced with true love, similar to the case of Elizabeth and Darcy.
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