Pride and Prejudice Theme of Wealth

Wealth is crucially important in Pride and Prejudice, since the general plot revolves around the fact that the five Bennet daughters will have no way of financially supporting themselves once their father dies and their house is handed over to Mr. Collins. There is almost no conversation about potential spouses that doesn't also calculate the annual income that the pair might have to live on. Several characters are even openly gold-diggers when it comes to finding a spouse.

1. Is there a plot element in the novel that isn't instigated by some kind of monetary transaction? Why or why not?
2. Why hasn't Mr. Bennet made any kind of provisions for his wife and daughters in case he dies? Do other characters blame him for this? What do you make of that?
3. Which characters think the most about money when it comes to marriage? Which think about it the least? Does it make a difference if the characters are male or female? Middle class or upper class?
4. How much does Mr. Darcy's fat estate impact Elizabeth's interest in him?

One of the ways the novel achieves its very strong sense of realism is by having very detailed and exact references to money, even in minor situations. One example of this is Lydia wanting to treat her sisters but having to borrow money from them instead.

The fact that women are constantly having to appraise their potential suitors based on relatively limited information is a testament to how in-the-world women actually are, despite all the rhetoric that they belong strictly in the domestic space.