"But still he would be her husband. Without speaking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasant perspective from want" (Austen 107).
At this point in the novel, Charlotte has accepted Mr. Collins' proposal. This action is quite ironic because just earlier, Mr. Collins had proposed to Lizzy. When this quote is said, Charlotte realizes that Mr. Collins is not indeed the ideal candidate to be her husband, for he vexes her. However, her time for an incumbent engagement is running short. Austen describes Collins to be irksome, neither sensible or agreeable, and clingy. The reasons that Charlotte will marry Mr. Collins is very different from a marriage today. During the time of Pride and Prejudice, women married men for status, inheritance, and money. Today, those factors are barely visible. People today get married purely for the fact that they are in love, and have strong, passionate feelings for one another.
The fact that happiness was not always guaranteed is ridiculous. Marrying someone means that you want to live a life full of felicity with that other person, not that you might be happy once you get to know the other person better. In general terms, the idea of marriage in the time of Pride and Prejudice is very different and archaic from what it is today in modern times.
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