The combination of dissolute Wickhame and empty-minded Lydia results in a sex-oriented marriage.
Wickhame first appears us as a very charming fellow. But his character , on the contrary, was mean and wicked. “A curious degree of sexual attraction often goes with a lively, unreliable disposition, which may either be somewhat superficial but perfectly well-meaning, or driven by circumstance which it has not the strength to withstand, become that of a scoundrel.” (Douglas Bush 591)Wickhame was well on the way to being a scoundrel; but his sexual fascination was so great that Elizabeth Bennet, who was normally of a very critical turn of mind, saw at first absolutely nothing in him but made him seem the most charming man he had ever met. Wickham's constant attention to Elizabeth made her feel sure that she was in love with him. Wickham's love, however, was short-lived. Soon after he was reported to court another lady, Miss King, who possessed ten thousand pounds. A sharp contrast emerged between his agreeable appearance and mean character. He regarded love as nothing but a tool to acquire wealth.
His elopement with Lydia is very sudden. It really leaves us some rooms to contemplate his real motivation. Lydia was not rich. It seemed that Wickhame's elopement with her was beyond understanding. Nevertheless, further reading clarifies the obscurity and tells us his whole character. There are two motivations behind it: 1. He was a dissolute man who never ceased seeking sexual passion. 2. He availed himself of a chance to flee his creditors. His flight was rendered necessary by distress of circumstances rather than by his affection to Lydia.
Lydia was a stout, well-grown girl of fifteen, a favorite with her mother, whose affection had brought her into public at an early age. She had high animal spirits, and a sort of natural self-consequence, which the attentions of the officials, to whom her uncle's good dinners and her own easy manners recommended her, had increased into assurance. Lydia was an empty-minded and uncertain flirt who never ceased seeking her own fun and sexual excitement. The only interests in her life were to flirt with red-coated officials in a militia regiment in the neighborhood. Lydia's minds were more vacant than their sisters', and when nothing better offered, a walk to Meryton was necessary to amuse their morning hours and furnish conservation for the evening. And “Lydia, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Caption Carter, and her hope of seeing him in the course of the day, as he was going the next morning to London.” (J ane Austen 58) She was so temperamental that she cried bitterly when she heard that red-coated officials would leave the local town and rejoiced when some new red-coated officials come in.
As Lydia was young and empty-minded, she never give love a serious and proper consideration. Her thirsts for carnal desire and unrestrained life determine her sex-oriented marriage, Wickhame was seductive and pleasing outwardly, but mean and dirty inwardly. While Lydia, foolish and dissipated, only enchanted by his glorious appearance, see nothing of his real intention and personality. “At the opposite extreme to Collins and Charlotte, Wickhame and Lydia, who yield almost completely to personal claims” (Mark Schorer 72)
The combination of pleasant Bingley and mild J ane leads to a happy marriage.
Bingley was a popular person in the novel. He had a pleasant countenance and easy unaffected manners. We soon found that he was agreeable both in appearance and character. In the first ball at Netherfield, we began to make acquaintance of his personality through his behavior. “ Mr Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room, he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves” (J ane Austen 79) These personal strength certainly won J ane's admiration, she thought that He was just what a young man ought to be, and sensible, good-humored, lively, and she never saw such happy manners! – so much ease, with perfect good breeding! Bingley' falls in love with J ane at their first ball and their romance flourishes quietly and steadily. His affection towards J ane was obviously sincere and unaffected. When J ane suffered an illness his anxiety for J ane was evident, and his attentions to herself most pleasing.And “ diffuseness and warmth remained for Bingley's salutation. He was full of joy and attention. The first half-hour was spent in piling up the fire, lest she should suffer from the change of room, and she removed at his desire to the other side of the fire-place, that she might be farther from the door. He then sat down by her, and talked scarcely to anyone else.” (J ane Austen 104) We can feel Bingley's real concern and affection towards J ane from these details. He was cordial and constant in his love.
Pleasant and modest as he was, Bingley was far from the man who was strong and determined. When their romance went smoothly, his sudden departure nearly ends his happy love. The cause of his departure stems from his relationship with Darcy. Bingley was endeared to Darcy by the easiness, openness, ductility of his temper, though no disposition could offer a great contrast to his own, and though with his own, he never appeared dissatisfied. On the strength of Darcy's regard, Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his judgement the highest opinion. His attachment to J ane was obvious, but he was so modest and pliable that he believed Darcy's representation of J ane's indifference; which, added Darcy, he genuinely believed himself. Darcy saw that J ane liked Bingley, but he did not believe her to be in love, and therefore liable to be injured except in a worldly sense by Bingley's withdrawal. We can see this point from his letter to Elizabeth: “ Her (J ane) look and manners were open, cheerful and engaging as ever, but without any symptom of peculiar regard, and I remained convinced from the evening, that though she received his attentions with pleasure, she did not invite them by any participation of sentiment.” (J ane Austen 127) Under the influence of Mr. Darcy, Bingley began to doubt J ane's affection to him, he left her without saying good-bye. Later, when all misunderstanding clarified, he came back to J ane at Darcy's assistance. Bingley's indecisive character determines that his happiness were controlled by others.
