“To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain unmarried as I am. But if they are not practicing self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion.” Thus counseled Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 7:8-9, NRSV). Less than 2000 years later, Jane Austen took a rather different tack on marriage, opening Pride and Prejudice with these wry words on the marital views of wealthy English society: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a large fortune, must be in want of a wife” (Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 1, p. 5).
Since that famous opening line, Pride and Prejudice has become a media sensation in the 20th and 21st centuries, with multiple film and television adaptations and the creation of an entire subculture dedicated to Jane Austen. Mr. Darcy’s name has become legendary. His pursuit of Elizabeth Bennet is romantic cliche. But as a famous depiction of a more modern marriage, how does it hold up against the original Biblical writers who tackled marital good? Is this marriage as theologically sound as it is popular? Pride and Prejudice may be closer to us than Saint Paul, but the subject is not too alien. After all, the world of Jane Austen’s Regency England was Christian. From the religious sensibilities of Mary Bennet to the droning sermons of Mr. Collins, Pride and Prejudice is a text infused with Christianity. But does the novel reflect the religious source material? How well do the principles expressed in the letter to the Corinthians map out with the Darcy and Elizabeth love story? Would Saint Paul ever deign to get cozy for an evening watching Bridget Jones’ Diary with some popcorn?
Darcy’s first marriage proposal to Elizabeth ends in disaster, as he stuns her with the revelation that he is madly in love with her and then proceeds to insult her situation in life. He begins with the now-famous, agitated demonstration of the urgency of his feelings for her: “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” (Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter XI, p. 185). This ardent admiration undoubtedly has a sexual element lurking under its surface. The “struggle” Darcy references is his own wrestling with his body to overcome his attraction to Elizabeth. He has ultimately lost that struggle, so he must marry her immediately in order to give in to the urges of his body and brain without censure. He reveals that he is only pursuing the marriage because it would allow him to have a church-sanctioned relationship with Elizabeth. To this end, he insults Elizabeth’s family and rhetorically demands if he is supposed to enjoy being forced to interact with Elizabeth’s uncouth, insufferable family during their marriage. This also partially reflects the oddness of their match--he is rich and she is the daughter of a less well-off country family. “Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections?” he demands (Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter XI, p. 188). Although Austen does not explicitly state it, it is clear that there is an element of necessity in Darcy’s proposal--marriage is the only way to legitimate his desire.
The language of repression here mirrors Paul’s discussion of passion and self-control--Darcy cannot control himself, so he must marry rather than burn. Paul would likely grudgingly approve of Darcy’s actions. He might even sigh or roll his eyes. Still, the proposal here is an expression of Paul’s own idea of the necessity of marriage as a last resort. Darcy is saving himself from future sin--once he marries Elizabeth, all his immoral lust will be somewhat redeemed. If not for Darcy’s overwhelming attraction, Paul would have urged Darcy and Elizabeth to remain as they were--unmarried and apart, devoted to God as good Christians.
Elizabeth rather vehemently rejects Darcy’s proposal, leaving the him presumably stewing with his aforementioned passion until the resolution of the novel. Darcy brings up the offer of marriage again, this time in a more conciliatory manner. He tells her that if she truly does not want to marry him, he will withdraw from her: “If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever” (Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter XVI, p. 346). Elizabeth informs him that she has changed her mind about his previous proposal, and they are summarily engaged. In this proposal, he once again references his suppressed feelings, though he is not adamant that he and Elizabeth must get married for the sake of propriety. Instead, this “proposal” is about respect for Elizabeth--Darcy acknowledges the urgency of his feelings but also assures Elizabeth that he can repress them if she so wishes. In telling Elizabeth that “one word could silence him on the subject forever”, Darcy is revealing that marriage is no longer the necessary option that it was before--he still has feelings for Elizabeth, but he has learned the control that he lacked before. For that, Paul would probably fling his hands up and ask why Darcy and Elizabeth were even bothering to get married at all this point. Per his views in the letter, the marriage is unnecessary. It is no longer the safeguard against sin that it once was, as the “vain struggle” is now a mutual acceptance. Of course, it results in a happy ending for them and the reader. Darcy and Elizabeth are in love--but it is not necessarily love that makes a marriage for Saint Paul. One could hope that he would be able to forgive Jane Austen just this once--after all: “love is kind”, and it makes for good literature (1 Cor. 13:4. NRSV).
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