In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, almost every character displays an opinion about what values ​​and desires should influence marriage. For some, marriage is done simply for money and title, while others believe that marriage should be driven by love and the desire to be with another. For Elizabeth Bennet, love is the first and most important influence in marriage: money, title, and position in her family all come second. Jane Bennet, whose opinion is somewhat close to Elizabeth's, believes that love should be a factor in marriage, but believes that it is necessary to get married to help her family's situation. There are many different influences that drive marriage between two people, but it is easy to see that love is sometimes not the main or only factor in two people's marriage. Charlotte Lucas's view on marriage, which relates to other characters, is that she wants to be in a good situation and maybe have love develop along the way. Therefore, Charlotte Lucas' view of marriage, while cynical, is similar to other characters' view of marriage, suggesting a common opinion among the characters that marriage should not be influenced by love. Charlotte Lucas decides to marry Mr. Collins for a chance at happiness. without the element of love between the two, showing that he believes marriage should not be triggered by affection. In chapter 22, when Charlotte explains to Elizabeth her engagement to Mr. Collins, she explains that she is not a "romantic" (p. 123) and that she only asks for a "comfortable home" (p. 123). Charlotte Lucas is a simple girl. All she really wants is to be in a good place in life, and she believes that her “chance at happiness with [Mr. Collins] is right” (p. 123). Charlotte knows that M...... middle of paper ......ment. If multiple characters and now the narrator all have this common opinion that love doesn't need to be in a marriage, then it establishes a theme through the novel and the time period in which it is set. Through the views and opinions of certain characters and the narrator, Austen creates a theme in Pride and Prejudice that presents the argument that love need not be a condition of engagement. Through Charlotte Lucas's engagement to Mr. Collins one can see how one can marry for a chance at happiness, through Mrs. Bennet's intentions one can see how one can marry for a better situation for oneself and one's family, and through the From the narrators' comments we can see how it is socially acceptable to marry without love. It is not necessary for love to be present in an engagement because, from a social point of view, marriage is a necessity, while love is not.