Explaining the importance of marriage and courtship can be extremely difficult when telling a story of a different era in time. Portraying to readers the intense feelings and daily happenings of the characters is only easier done through the use of literary devices. In volume three of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen dives into major themes of the book like marriage by using literary devices such as imagery, irony, and foreshadowing.
Throughout the entirety of volume three of the book, the readers are introduced to intricate descriptions of surroundings, letters, and even emotions. As you begin to read the chapter, instantly our imagination is flooded by the depiction of Darcy’s Pemberley estate. Jane Austen says, ” It was a large, handsome, stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills; and in front, a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance.” She also mentions that, “Elizabeth’s mind was too full for conversation.”
Elizabeth is astounded by the beauty of his home and she begins to learn who Darcy really is rather than her prejudiced thinking of what he was. As the readers learn more about Darcy’s house from the inside out, they also become more in tune with his morals. Jane Austen paints a picture in our minds of how Darcy lives and it gives us a connection to his character.
Mrs. Bennet is a character who cannot be called consistent in the course of the book. However, there is one thing she stays true to, which is the belief in marrying off her daughters. As we grow in knowledge of her, Jane Austen portrays Mrs. Bennet as a firm believer in courtship and shows her willingness to go to extreme lengths of foolishness to convey that to her readers.
It is therefore ironic to see Mrs. Bennet become saddened by Lydia’s marriage to Wickham. Austen says, “The loss of her daughter made Mrs. Bennet very dull for several days (369).” This shows that even though she seems taken away by the need for marriage and extension of a title and family name, Mrs. Bennet has prejudice against a type of class for her daughters. It could also mean that Mrs. Bennet does not recognize her appreciation for her daughters until they actually leave.
Many of the things that come to pass in Pride and Prejudice are events which were foreshadowed by the past. Elizabeth and Jane have a special bond between them and you can tell that Elizabeth knows Jane very well. When Elizabeth says, “…she still thought him partial to Jane, and she wavered as to the greater probability of his coming there with his friend’s permission, or being bold enough to come without it (370),” she hints at something that she sees happening in the future. When Mr. Bingley comes to visit later on, Jane seems flustered and it says that she looked “paler than usual.” As Bingley keeps visiting, he and Jane grow closer and he finally proposes. This foreshadowing expresses a major theme in the book that in the end, the ultimate goal after love is marriage.
Mignon McLaughlin said, “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” In numerous ways, Jane Austen enhances the reading experience by using literary devices to effectively convey that marriage is hard but can be fulfilled rightfully when two people truly love each other. By using literary devices such as imagery, irony, and foreshadowing in volume three of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen delves into major themes like marriage that encompass the book.
