“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” This is a best known sentence for its opening from Jane Austen’s famous story of love and misunderstanding in late 18th century England. This novel is also talking around the universal themes, the joy and pain of love, the pursuit of happiness and the influence of social opinions.

Before I read this novel, I acquainted myself with the writer—Jane Austen. Austen was born in the countryside, so she didn’t go to any normal schools. But she really read widely instructed by her father who was the local person. During that period of time, Austen was regarded as the first author to realistically describe the common characters in common life. Her works, to some extent, reflect the comedy in the middle-class of England and also got rid of the fixed tradition in the 18th century by analyzing the personalities of the characters artfully. This is also the reason why I choose this book to read.

As an outstanding female writer, Jane Austen is one of my favorite writers. But to be honest, Elizabeth is not the character which I love best; she is the person who likes to judge a person just by one side. Although Darcy is pride, do you really think about it, why he is so pride? I think this is in connection with Darcy’s temperament, the class status of his family, the level of education, the income per year and be run after by so many girls. I think he has the conditions to be pride. And a person good or not, it can’t be seen just by one side or heard by others. In my opinion, to judge a person needs a long time, we are not short of the persons giving an added grace to what is already beautiful, we just in want of the persons providing timely help, and Darcy is that kind person.

This novel has also given me several enlightenments.

Firstly, the author definitely defines the criterion of marriage. According to Austen’s view, there are two kinds of bad marriage: one is like Charlotte and Collins, their marriage is completely based on the economic. The other one is like Lydia and Wickham, just set up their marriage on beauty and sex.

Charlotte is a very smart girl, just as her family has no money and possessions, and she is not beautiful enough, she is still a virgin until 27-year-old. The reason why she promises to marry the fool Collins is only for finding a desire end. There marriage is based on economics rather than on love or appearance. It was a common practice during Austen’s time for women to marry a husband to save her from spinsterhood or financial trouble. This end can make her never feel hunger and cold, it doesn’t matter whether she would have family happiness or not. On a certain extent, this kind of practice has also reflected the deplorable destinies of women who submit themselves to this type of marriage will have to suffer in enduring silence and spiritual pain as Charlotte does.

Lydia is an extremely frivolous girl, because coveting after the appearances and the emotion impulse, she eloped with Wickham, at that time, the one that reflected it biggest is the mother of Lydia—Mrs. Bennet. She does not think of the happiness of her little daughter, she just thinks about the influence of this family, how does her other daughters find rich、handsome men to marry with. Later on, after Darcy’s help, the two become one couple. But with time goes on, their love can’t last long, once these qualities can no longer be seen by each other, the once strong relationship will slowly fade away. Wickham always goes to the town to seek pleasure and make merry, and Lydia only hides in her sister’s home to finding consolation. Austen shows that hasty marriage based on superficial qualities quickly cools and lead to inevitable unhappiness finally.

To compare with Charlotte and Lydia, Elizabeth and Jane are fall in love with each other before they get married. These are real happy marriages. Though, Elizabeth and Darcy, Jane and Bingley, their combinations does not exclude the consideration of economy and appearances, they pay more attention to the other sides’ reasonable morals. Therefore, after they get married, still there are certain differences on the family status, but to the couples, they can be conjugal love and harmonious. Especially for the Elizabeth, she refused Darcy at first, and accepted him at last, this behavior fully explain：“There is not love that can’t marry absolutely”!

Secondly, the author thought, love and marriage are the matters that concern the happy major issue of the life, so it should be dealt with seriousness and cautiousness can’t let the superficial phenomenon deceive the eyes. Elizabeth emerges prejudice to Darcy just because of slight from Darcy, nevertheless, when the stylish Wickham does everything to please her in poise, she has sprouted good opinions to him, even believed his shameless lies which led she prejudice and abhor Darcy further and deeper. Finally she admits by herself, she would do these kind of things are all on account of the vanity. The fact is proved：“First impression” is unbelievable; however, prejudice is much more terrible than ignorant.

Additional, Austen shows to us that the love affairs are not only personal issues; they are also the social problems. Lydia’s elopement brings about the panic of her family and her relatives. Everyone knows, if this ugly incident becomes the scandal, it will not only make Lydia lose all standing and reputation, but also embroil her relatives, especially her sisters. It tells us ：People can’t only consider oneself in marriage major issue; we should also be responsible for our relatives, even for the society.

    In modern society, although the marriages of economic needs have decreased rapidly, the concept of “money determines everything” is still rooted in some people’s mind. A lot of parents try hard to interfering their children’s marriages. Education background, possessions, jobs remains the main reason that may influence one’s marriage. Marry for money is still a big problem in our society. We can’t help thinking: can money determine everything?

Nowadays in China, it is still widely accepted that, when one intends to select a right spouse to marry, the mutual feelings is not the only element to consider, factors especially economic condition is ought to be taken into consideration. Only meeting the two basic elements could the marriage be the happy one. I hope that I would marry with someone ideal and have a happy and enduring marriage one day. At last, I will give the same wish to other single ones, hoping them happy every day.