Marriage is a central goal of almost every character in Pride and Prejudice even though their approaches to marriage often differ. Over the course of the novel, four different couples marry. Austen uses these couples to highlight the outcomes of several different approaches to marriage:

• For Elizabeth and Darcy or Bingley and Jane, happiness is achieved for everyone involved.
• For Charlotte Lucas, contentment is achieved through compromise.
• For Lydia and Wickham, their elopement reads as a cautionary tale about the potential dangers of neglecting duty and selfishly pursuing personal satisfaction.

As Mr. Bennet’s favorite daughter, Elizabeth has been encouraged to pursue her own happiness. Although she faces poverty and homelessness if she does not marry well, Elizabeth still hopes for a marriage based on love. Because of this, she puts both her own future and those of her mother and sisters at risk by rejecting Mr. Collins. However, Elizabeth’s commitment to her own happiness ultimately allows her to make a good marriage to Mr. Darcy. Darcy remarks that it is the “liveliness” of her mind that initially attracted him, and his reformed behavior is largely credited to her criticism of him. Austen uses Elizabeth to emphasize the importance of a marriage founded on mutual respect and attraction.

Elizabeth’s desire for marital happiness contrasts with Charlotte Lucas’s blunt practicality and her values of comfort and duty. By marrying Mr. Collins, Charlotte secures financial stability, if not marital bliss. Though Elizabeth judges Charlotte harshly for her decision, Charlotte does not seem unhappy. She doesn't love Mr. Collins, but she knows how to redirect his pompousness and is content to be his wife. Unlike Elizabeth, Charlotte’s happiness comes from knowing that she will have a stable living and a manageable home. Though Austen is critical of the idea of marriage as a financial transaction, Charlotte stands as an example of a woman who did what she felt was necessary and made the best of it.

Lydia Bennet takes an entirely different approach to marriage. Her radical exercise of personal autonomy nearly results in social ruin. Rather than carefully considering the consequences of her actions, Lydia impulsively elopes with Wickham. If not for Darcy’s intervention, she likely would have ended up impoverished and alone. Her marriage is ultimately unhappy, highlighting the limitations of love and attraction in a world ruled by wealth and status. However, beyond the personal ramifications of her choice, she also brought shame on her family. Had Darcy not forced Lydia and Wickham to marry, the other Bennet daughters would have become even less marriageable. Lydia demonstrates how selfishly pursuing personal satisfaction has dire consequences. Though Elizabeth risks her family’s future by rejecting Mr. Collins, she does not wholly disregard her reputation and responsibilities as Lydia does.