Is it because this can ruin the family?
2007-01-27 23:20:39 · 5 answers · asked by Hannah 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
In those days a girl who ran away with a suitor as Lydia did with Wickham was considered ruined. The scandal tarnished the reputation of her family as society deemed that she had been badly brought up and she had flouted the rules of respectability.
Genteel young ladies married young men who were considered suitable or desirable by their parents either because the young man came from a "good" family or he was rich, and rarely for love. Wickham was a dubious character, but despite this it was considered essential that he made an "honest woman" of Lydia as her reputation had been compromised. Of course the assumption when a couple eloped was that they had had sex on their way to Scotland since the young woman had had no chaperone to make sure no "hanky panky" took place. In Jane Austen's time, no "lady" travelled without being escorted by another female or a close relative.
If one daughter misbehaved, the assumption was that any other had also been badly brought up and therefore was an "unsuitable match". The future prospects of the other sibblings would be jeopardised. So scandals were averted by keeping the elopement quiet and pretending that marriage had taken place with parental consent.
You have to remember that this kind of thing was still the norm not so long ago and that any girl who had "disgraced" herself was more or less forced to marry the man who had compromised her, however unsuitable he was.
Lydia was a shallow, impulsive, selfish and thoughtless girl who never considered the repercutions of her actions on the family.The marriage was a damage limitation exercise.
2007-01-27 23:38:08 · answer #1 · answered by WISE OWL 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
because of the time the story is set, at that point in time for a woman/girl of lydia's age to be alone for any length of time with a man meant ruin to her reputation which meant that she could not expect to marry well and also bought shame upon her family for allowing this to happen! basically being left alone/eloping meant she that if she didnt marry him she would be considered a loose woman with no reputation and unfit for proper society, she would be cast out and would possibly have made it impossible for her sisters to marry well either, at least for a couple of years so the story's end would have been much different!
hope this helps? xx
2007-01-27 23:39:23 · answer #2 · answered by pinkjessie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it would be a complete disgrace! she ELOPED! nowadays, obviously that's not so bad but then, it was utterly shameful. they had been living together. they had to get married because, if they hadn't, no-one would ever wish to marry any of the other sisters, which would mean that when mr. bennet died, the house would legally belon to Mr. Collins. the family would then have nowhere to go. they HAD to get married.
2007-01-28 00:42:45 · answer #3 · answered by country gal 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cuz it will not be gangsta enough for ME
2007-01-27 23:48:49 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
who?
2007-01-27 23:27:55 · answer #5 · answered by Howard K 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋