As many scholars have already written and published various works in regards to Austen’s famous novel, it is evident that the story has much to be speculated on. My personal interest in this novel is the loyalty and disloyalty that the family units provide for one another throughout the story.

For the sake of content, I would say that Austen wrote far more examples of familial loyalty rather than disloyalty. One of the first actions readers come across with this is when Elizabeth goes to stay with Jane at Netherfield when Jane fell ill. After reading Jane’s letter to her explaining her illness, Lizzy says, “I shall be very fit to see Jane—which is all I want” (Austen 29). Lizzy knew that her sister was struggling, especially being in a house full of people she wasn’t all too familiar with, so she went to her side immediately. This kind of action shows what Lizzy would do for her sister, out of loyalty and love.

Another character who exhibits great family loyalty is Mr. Darcy. While readers do not get to actually meet his younger sister, Miss Darcy, until closer to the end of the novel, readers are aware of her existence at an early stage of the story. Readers get the sense of how much Darcy helps out his sister when Wickham is telling Lizzy all about his relationship with the Darcy family. Austen writes, “He has also brotherly pride, which, with some brotherly affection, makes him a very kind and careful guardian of his sister; and you will hear him generally cried up as the most attentive and best of brothers” (Austen 76). Here the audience is hearing of someone is thought of as the antagonist to be a loyal family member. This is one of the first pieces of information that the readers get to signify he might be a better person than was originally thought.

Concerning the opposite, disloyalty to your family, Lydia hits the hammer right on the head when she runs away with Wickham toward the end of the novel. Readers are made aware of the situation through a letter that Jane sends to Lizzy while Lizzy is away with her aunt and uncle. In it she writes, “What I have to say relates to poor Lydia. An express came at twelve last night, just as we were all gone to bed, from Colonel Forster, to inform us that she was gone off to Scotland with one of his officers; to own the truth, with Wickham” (Austen 245). As all readers know, they did not end up going to Scotland, and their choice to not marry and stay in London had put the whole family under scrutiny and disgrace. This act, while it may have been naïve on Lydia’s part, was incredibly selfish and therefore disloyal. She clearly was not thinking straight, but she should have thought enough to realize the effect it would have on the entire family.

Austen, Jane, and Carol Howard. Pride and Prejudice. Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003.

It’s hard to look at history and think that there was a time when people married solely for money and status; completely separating love from the equation. Pride and Prejudice examines both marriage and love together, even though many of this time thought it was unobtainable. Jane Austen is known to be a satirical writer. The most obvious point she makes is about marriage primarily for social status. I find it interesting that Jane Austen herself never married in her life. I’ve come to the conclusion that she didn’t marry due to the social norms of her time period. Austen sets up the Bennet family close to what she lived through growing up in the Austen household.  Austen grew up with seven siblings, her sister and herself being the only females. However, just like the Bennet household, her father had no dowry to give to Jane for whenever she was ready to marry. The Austen family was facing financial difficulties. People suppose that this could be a reason why Jane Austen and her young flame Thomas Lefroy didn’t work out: For Thomas would not have to marry down if he truly wanted to be with Jane Austen. Later in Jane Austen’s life, Harris Bigg-Wither proposed to her and after accepting she ended up breaking the engagement. There was much speculation as to why Jane Austen would have ended the marriage, and especially at her age. During the Georgian Era, it was nearly impossible for any woman over the age of 30 to marry. Jane Austen was certainly getting “older” for the Georgian marriage standards, but I believe Jane Austen felt the marriage was forced. Jane Austen society expected her to marry whoever was willing to propose to her, whoever did would know that they wouldn’t get much financially in return. Jane Austen wanted to marry for love and this is why I believe she never married anyone in her life. In Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte and Elizabeth share a scene where they talk about the possibility for Mr. Bingley and Jane to be married. Charlotte first gives her opinion:

“But though Bingley and Jane meet tolerably often, it is never for many hours together; and as they always see each other in large mixed parties, it is impossible that every moment should be employed in conversing together. Jane should therefore make the most of every half hour in which she can command his attention. When she is secure of him there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chuses.” (Austen, 23).

Austen gives the voice of society. Austen’s society believes that one must first claim a man’s attention, and then once he is “secure” or once he is most likely to propose, then they have time to fall in love later. Austen’s society is built on strict social manners and customs that no one would dare to go against (except maybe Austen herself). For example, as seen with Mr. Collins and Elizabeth, it was common for a lady to turn down a proposal and for a man to continue to propose before a lady fully accept the offer. Mr. Collins described this in Chapter 19:

“that it is usual with young ladies to reject the address of the man whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first applies for their favour; and that sometimes refusal is repeated a second or even third time.” (Austen, 105).

In response to Charlotte, Elizabeth tells her: “But these are not Jane’s feelings; she is not acting by design” (Austen, 23). Austen is trying to show her audience that there are people who fall in love first before they marry.  Austen wants her society to see that marriage does not have to just be about the cash flow of families or a specific structure to get someone to marry you. Instead, Austen is using Jane and Mr. Bingley’s love to show her audience that people can fall in love with someone for love, and perhaps why this is so significant to Pride and Prejudice overall. For Jane, it worked out that she fell in love with someone who will help her financially in the future, but was not the main reason for why she wanted to marry Bingley.