MARRIAGE AS A LITERARY DEVICE FOR REPRESENTING WOMEN'S SOCIAL STATUS IN JANE AUSTEN'S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Marriage occupies a central position in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813), functioning not merely as the conclusion of romantic relationships but as a sophisticated literary device through which the author explores women's social status in Regency England. This article examines how Austen employs different models of marriage to represent female identity, economic dependence, moral values, and social mobility within a patriarchal society. Using feminist literary criticism, socio-historical analysis, and close textual reading, the study investigates the relationships of Elizabeth Bennet, Charlotte Lucas, Lydia Bennet, and Jane Bennet as distinct narrative patterns that reveal various dimensions of women's experiences. The findings demonstrate that marriage in Pride and Prejudice (1813) performs multiple artistic functions. It serves as a structural principle organizing the narrative, a symbolic representation of women's opportunities and limitations, and a critical instrument exposing the contradictions of class hierarchy, inheritance laws, and gender ideology. Rather than portraying marriage as a purely romantic destination, Austen presents it as a complex process of moral education, intellectual growth, and social negotiation. The article argues that Austen's artistic treatment of marriage transforms an ordinary domestic subject into a broader commentary on female autonomy and patriarchal society. Consequently, Pride and Prejudice (1813)should be understood not only as a novel of manners but also as a carefully constructed literary exploration of women's social identity through the institution of marriage.