Melina Moe points to “multiple modernities” in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, arguing that the disagreement between Charlotte and Elizabeth represents “a highly conflicted moral drama about the...

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    Different Modernity of Elizabeth and Charlotte: An Overview of Austen’s Approach
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Introduction
    The 18th century English society is perceived as stereotypical in terms of structuring its marital values (Schmidt, p.1; 2004). In fact, unlike today when women are given independent choices to prefer their life partner, the 18th Century English parents were more determinant in choosing the course of marriages for their daughter (Schmidt, p.1; 2004). In fact, a sort of conservatism prevailed in their ideology that women, because of being weaker gender than men, had least privileges to enjoy the right of freedom in terms of marrying. Jane Austen’s famous novel Pride and Prejudice entertains readers as the masterpiece in this respect; the revolutionary book has some memorable characters that showcase their mental strength in order to protest against this set ideology (Schmidt, p.1; 2004). In Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, though characters like Elizabeth and Charlotte explore the concept of seeking happiness through marriage, they do not fail to assert their point of rejection, a challenge given to the traditional concept of marriage by showing intellectual resentment.
The Status of Marriage and Individual Happiness: Charlotte and Mr. Collins
    At first, it is significant to note here that the relationship of Charlotte and Collins is typical to the 18th century parental thinking about marriage. Charlotte is presented as twenty seven years of age, a girl that is not blessed with good looks. She is aware of the fact that she cannot participate in marriage balls like all other beautiful ladies around her (Schmidt, p.1; 2004). It was the custom to participate in marriage balls for young ladies in that time to find out suitable husbands. However, for Charlotte, she is aware of the fact that none would look at her beauty driven from intellect i.e. it is her physical appearance that will be seen by young males and she lacks perfection in it (Lewis, 2016). Therefore, individual fulfillment is the only alternative she is left with Collins.
    Additionally, as women were not sent to formal schooling in those days, the common perception in young girls was that they would pass their lives under the protection and cover of their husbands (Schmidt, p.3; 2004). In the light of this factor, when Elizabeth rejects the proposal of Collins who later proposes Charlotte and who was ‘a tall, heavy- looking young man of five-and-twenty’, she responds promptly to his proposal, considering the fact that ‘happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance’(Austen, p. 27). Charlotte is of the view that it is always better to get chances to know about the infirmities of the life partner and it is barely available with the existing marital system in their families. Additionally, in her perception, the individual fulfillment of objectives set by the course of marriage is also contributory thing; she belongs to a family suffering from...