"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.

In Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," one of the most prevalent themes throughout the novel is the nineteenth-century English society's preoccupation in procuring socially advantageous marriages. It was the era where much importance was placed on marriage and all things in connection with it. One of the primary purposes of getting married at that time is economical stability. Mrs. Bennett's immortal line, "...that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in …showed first 75 words of 784 total…

…showed last 75 words of 784 total…is of course, beauty; where Bingley was smitten by Jane's and Elizabeth's grew on Darcy gradually. However, this was subject to the individual's taste as 'beauty is in the eyes of the beholder'. Men also seek partners in possession of certain accomplishments; being able to sing, dance and play musical instruments among them, who are good-natured and even intellectually stimulating. Elizabeth Bennett just happens to be a very good example of all these fine qualities.