Elopement Essay

• Write a brief essay on how society would view Lydia chances of making a good marriage after the elopement

In the 19th century, elopement was completely frowned upon by society. It was seen as something that would shame the family and bring down the family name. Society would not have agreed to the marriage due to the parents feeling that the marriage would not have been successful because of the difference of status. Lydia parents are expected to pay for hers and Hacksaw’s wedding.

Money, business and status was the main reason marriages were to happen and if neither parents or society approved of your session, elopement was your answer. Lydia and Mr. Hickman decided to elope without anyone knowing because they knew that their parents would not approve. However, I feel that they concentrated less on the part where they have to face everybody again and how the family would never be able to get rid of this bad reputation that has now been formed because of them, especially towards the rest of the Bennett girls.

To elope in the 19th century, you must travel to Scotland where you wouldn’t need anyone’s consent. In order to travel to Scotland, the transport was either by horse or horse and carriage (which traveled at around 5-7 pH), the process took many weeks. Society would have thought that Lydia was definitely impure and touched before the time she had reached Scotland where the marriage was to be secured and completed. This would have definitely affected the rest of the Bennett sisters in terms of attracting future spouses. Society believed that if one Bennett sister can elope, what is stopping the rest of them? They were all brought up by the same people.

Premarital sex was viewed as one of the biggest sins you could commit in 9th Century England. It was seen to be pure and loyal to save your virginity until our wedding night and if you were to lose it before then you were seen as a slut and no longer respectable, this furthermore would have entirely affected your family’s name. Sex outside marriage may have then resulted in having a child out of wed-lock and this was taken very seriously by society, they would believe that this would affect Lydia chances of having a good marriage by assuming that both of them will only do this again and maybe even their children too.