Progress 16

Tingting Gu

Dr. Jennifer Marquardt

ENG 3029

May 26 2014

Different Strategies of Game Theory in

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

For over many decades and up to now, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is one of the best choices for scholars to do researches in marriage in late eighteenth century and nineteenth century. Among these scholars, Dr. Michael Suk-Young Chwe, a professor in Northwestern University who explores Methodology and Race, in his book Austen Jane, Game Theorist firstly comes out that Lydia Bennet, Jane Bennet and Elisabeth Bennet use the game theory in their marriages. Based on Dr. Chwe’s statement, the purpose of this textual analysis study will be to describe the three different strategies of the game theory for Lydia Bennet, Jane Bennet and Elisabeth Bennet to use in marriages in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

The background of this textual analysis study is the definition of the game theory. Game theory firstly exists in mathematics. Jeremey Cagle, a professor from LaGuardia Community College, in Elegant Complexity: The Presence of Cold War Game Theory in Postmodern American Fiction claims that “[…] Von Neumann’s game theory, a branch of applied mathematics that schematizes human conflict and cooperation (2).” Since the game theory can “schematizes human conflicts”, it is used in the military in the United States Cold War. Later, in 2014, Dr. Michael Suk-Young Chwe talks about the game theory in his book Jane Austen, Game Theorist (2014) in the aspect of the usage in relationships among people.

To analyze the application of the game theory in relationships among people, Dr. Chwe states “Game Theory considers interaction among two or more people and is built upon rational choice theory, which looks at the choice of a single individual (1).” In other words, firstly, game theory focuses on the interaction between two or more people. When one person makes a decision, she considers others’ reactions. For example, there are two people being involved in the decision-making issue. Firstly, A assumes that she does nothing, B will do X or Y. Secondly, A begins to evaluate X and Y, and finds that X is good for her and Y is bed. Thirdly, A assumes that she does something, B will do x and y. Fourthly, A evaluates x and y again, and finds that x is better for her and y is worse. Among these four results, A chooses to do something and tries her best to manipulate B to do x so that she can get reach the goal that is the best for her. This simple process can be drawn as a tree, which is called a “game tree (13)” or “extensive form game (13).”

Besides the pattern of the game theory used in relationships among people, it also involves strategic thinking mentioned by Dr. Chwe in his book because people need to manipulate others to benefit themselves or reach the results that they think are the best. Dr. Chwe states that people must know that others’ preferences are different from their preferences. The best way to make the manipulation successful is “people try to place themselves in the mind of another (17).” People should think others’ reactions on others’ standpoints. Otherwise, people will make wrong expectations so that they lose the chances to reach the goals.

After giving the definition of the game theory in the relationships among people, Dr. Chwe analyzes the strategic thinking part of the game theory in Pride and Prejudice. Dr. Chwe states that strategic thinking is exploring “each character’s preferences and choices in strategic situation. (33)” For example, Elisabeth Bennet who is from Pride and Prejudice “adamantly defend her choice that she wants to engage in Mr. Darcy, a wealth man, against others’ presumptions. (qtd. in Pride and Prejudice 5)” When Lady Catherine, Mr. Darcy’s aunt, commands her not to have a relationship with Dr. Darcy, Elisabeth states that there is no need to reference to Lay Catherine about her happiness. Elisabeth Bennet knows if she makes the promise to Lady Catherine, Lady Catherine will manipulate her daughter with Mr. Darcy so that she will lose the chance to marry him forever. On the other hand, Elisabeth Bennet never allows anyone else to manipulate her marriage. She can make a decision by herself about whom she wants to marry. Additionally, Dr. Chwe claims that Jane Austen makes Elisabeth Bennet have “complex mixtures of feelings”. At the very beginning of the whole story, Elisabeth Bennet hates Mr. Darcy because he is arrogant. She likes Mr. Darcy even less after she knows that he refuses to provide Wickham a living following his father’s wishes. However, Elisabeth Bennet begins to love Mr. Darcy after he helps her little sister Lydia Bennet. The feelings Elisabeth Bennet toward Mr. Darcy is changing with the story developing. It is Mr. Darcy’s help that moves Elisabeth, which also reveals that she likes the man who treats her family well.

Dr. Michael Suk-Young Chwe discusses the game theory in Pride and Prejudice, focusing on the definition of game theory and “strategic thinking reveals women characters’ preferences and choices in strategic situation (33)”; however, he overlooks the aspect that Jane Bennet, Elisabeth Bennet and Lydia Bennet engage different strategies of the game theory in their marriages. It is right that they use game theory in their marriages because they regard their marriage as games and marrying men who have income is the final goal of the game. If they can reach the final goal, they are the winners of the games, but they use different strategies. Therefore, this textual analysis study will involve in the reasons why marriages become games and marrying men who have incomes becomes the final destination of games, and comprehensive interpretations of three different strategies they use in marriages.

As mentioned before, the goal of the marriage games is to marry men who have incomes because it will maintain the stability of economy for them. Additionally, it is also the only way for them to survive in the society. In late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, middle class white women need to rely on men because they have lower social status than men have. It is talked by Sandra L Alagona, a doctoral candidate in English at Claremont Graduate University, in Revolution And Improvement In The Writings Of Jane Austin And Margaret Fuller (2011). She claims “to be a middle class white woman in early nineteenth century England and the United States meant that you lived most of your life as someone's financial dependent. (88)” To interpret her statement, father and husband are the best choices for women to rely on. In Pride and Prejudice, however, Mr. Bennet cannot become his five daughters’ financial dependence and even after he dies, he still cannot leave his little legacy to them. He has no choice but giving his estate to his nephew Mr. Collins, a clergyman, according to the laws in late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century in England. For Mrs. Bennet, this unfair issue is also the “hardest things in the world. (Pride and Prejudice 51)” On Account of this unfair and terrible issue, five lovely daughters will lose their economic power after Mr. Bennet dies. Therefore, they are forced to try their best to marry men who have incomes as financial dependence to maintain their economy and survive in this society by manipulating marriages. Otherwise, they will lose money and even become homeless. Thus, marriages become games and marry men who have incomes becomes the final goal of the marriage games.

Lydia Bennet, Jane Bennet and Elisabeth Bennet as Mr. Bennet’s daughters are the participants of the marriage games. In the rest of this textual analysis study, I will focus on the role of different strategies in Jane Bennet, Elisabeth Bennet and Lydia Bennet’s marriages. Using literary analysis, I will study the treatment of different strategies in separate examples from Pride and Prejudice. In the example, firstly, I will summarize Lydia Bennet’s behaviors in her marriage. Secondly, I will explain how her behaviors match the game theory by talking about the choices. Thirdly, I remind the readers that my thesis is right by giving the evidences. I will repeat these steps of analysis for Jane and again for Elisabeth.

Here is one instance of different strategies of the game theory in Lydai Bennet’s marriage. Lydia Bennet is the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, who is naïve and has vanity. When Lydia knows that wealth Mr. Bingley will exist in the ball, she is so excited and thirty going to the ball. Later, she gets the news that the regiments are coming and will spend the whole winter in here. She cannot help waiting to meet them. When the regiments are coming, Lydia, her sisters and Mrs. Bennet go to see them. Lydia drops her handkerchief on the ground on purpose and hopes that one of officers picks it up so that she can introduce herself to him. Unfortunately, no one picks it up，which makes Lydia so disappointed. Several days later, Lydia goes to Netherfield Hall to look after Jane Bennet following Mrs. Bennet. She is shocked by Mr. Bingley’s beautiful hall. During the conversation with Mr. Bingley, Lydia even suggests Mr. Bingley hold a ball in Netherfield Hall and invite the militia. Another day, Lydia goes to look for ribbon. On the road, Mr. Wickham, a lieutenant, picks up a handkerchief for Elisabeth, but it makes Lydia excited again and she pretends that handkerchief is hers. She goes ahead and compliments him. Finally, she runs away with Mr. Wickham and gets marry him with the help of Mr. Darcy. When she comes back home with Mr. Wickham, she flaunts her ring and house.

In Lydia Bennet’s marriage, she tries her best to make herself attractive, and finally runs away with Mr. Wickham and marries him. Lydia Bennet meets many choices and she makes decisions after evaluating the different results. She chooses the ones that can make her win the game. Firstly, when she goes to see the regiments, she drops her handkerchief on purpose. She knows that if one of the officers picks it up and gives it back to her, she will have valuable chances to introduce herself to him. Once she is known by the officer, she will have possibility to start her relationship with him and finally marries him. Lydia also knows clearly that if she does nothing, she will become an ordinary person who is in the crowd and ignored by officers. What is worse, she will be the loser in the game.

Secondly, she makes a decision to run away from the home with Mr. Wickham. It is because she knows it is the only chance for her to marry a man with incomes and win the game. Lydia Bennet is not as beautiful as Jane Bennet and also not as cleaver as Elisabeth Bennet. If she does nothing about her marriage, she will be the loser because no one with incomes is willing to marry her. She has to marry a poor man and worries money. Even she will be homeless. Thus, Lydia Bennet chooses to do something to manipulate her marriage to win the game when she faces the choices.

Lydia Bennet uses all the ways to win the game even though she is so clumsy and brings many troubles to her family. Lydia runs away with Mr. Wickham, which is the most dreadful news for the whole family. The whole family worries her so much and they are afraid of not finding her forever because she does not have money and connections. Secondly, Lydia Bennet ruins Mr. Bennet’s reputation. In the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, people cannot tolerate that unmarried women run away with young men. People around will criticize the family who has this terrible issue and no one wants to have relationships with it. She makes her sisters lose chances to marry other people because no one wants them who have a fallen sister. She also forces her father, Mr. Bennet to fight Mr. Wickham and old Mr. Bennet may lose his life. In summary, Lydia makes her family worry about her, ruins the reputation, destroys her sisters’ marriages and even makes Mr. Bennet lose his life. She brings too many troubles to her family as the price of her win in her marriage game.

Besides Lydia Bennet’s marriage, here is another example of different strategies of the game theory in Jane Bennet’s marriage. Jane Bennet is the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, who is beautiful and gentle. Jane Bennet falls in love with Mr. Bingley when she first meets him on the ball. Mr. Bingley, a young and handsome man with large future and incomes from the north of England, is the host of Netherfield Hall. Mr. Bingley is also attracted by Jane’s beauty on the ball. After the ball, Mr. Bingley’s sister Caroline Bingley sends Jane a letter to invite her to have dinner in Netherfield Hall. Jane plans to take a carriage to Netherfield Hall owing to it is too far to walk there. Mrs. Bennet stops her and requires her to go on horseback. She plans to let Jane stay in Netherfield Hall for several days so that Jane can have more time to spend with Mr. Bingley and gets close to him. That is because Mrs. Bennet ensures that Jane will have a cold after going on horseback in the rain and Caroline will ask her stay there until she recovers out of politeness. Jane follows Mrs. Bennet’s instruction and goes on horseback. They love each other, but Mr. Darcy warns him that Jane loves his money not him, which makes Mr. Bingley wants to leave away from Jane. Several days later, the second letter from Mr. Bingley’s sister Caroline Bingley upsets Jane. In the letter, Caroline Bingley tells Jane that Mr. Bingley is going to London and also suggests her that Mr. Bingley wants to cut the relationship with her and he will marry Mr. Darcy’s sister. Jane loses hope to continue engaging the relationship with Mr. Bingley and feels heart-broken. Elisabeth Bennet, her sister encourages her not to give up. Elisabeth also suggests Jane to go to London to find chances to meet him. Jane follows Elisabeth’s suggestion and goes to London. Finally, Mr. Bingley knows that Jane does not love his money but him. He comes back to make a proposal to Jane and she agrees to his proposal happily.

In Jane Bennet’s marriage with Mr. Bingley, she has two vital choices, which makes her marriage like a game. First of all, Jane has to choose how to go to Netherfield Hall when Caroline Bingley invites her to have dinner. If she chooses to go to Netherfield by carriage, she will not have a cold during the trip. Caroline Bingley has no reason to ask Jane to stay in Netherfield Hall for several days so that Jane will lose chances to spend more time with Mr. Bingley and get close to him to grow on their love. However, if Jane chooses to go on horseback, she will have a cold and Caroline will ask her to stay there until she recovers out of politeness. Jane can live there and engage the relationship with Mr. Bingley. After evaluating the two results, obviously, the second result is much better than the first one. Jane chooses to go on horseback to make her much closer to Mr. Bingley and continues their relationship.

Besides this choice, Jane also faces a choice to continue pursuing her love or not when she receives the letter form Caroline Bingley who tells her that Mr. Bingley will Marry Mr. Darcy’s sister. If Jane chooses to follow Elisabeth’s suggestion to go to London, she may meet him there and have chance to deal with the misunderstanding. Although she faces problems in her marriage, she still has the chances to winthe game. If she chooses to give up, she will lose her relationship exhaustively and she will be the loser. Since Jane loves Me. Bingley so much and does not want to be the loser in the game, she chooses to go to London. In Jane’s marriage game, it is the very important path for Jane because if she makes a wrong choice, she will definitely be the loser and the game is over.

Facing these two choices mentioned above, Jane Bennet chooses to go on horseback and go to London, which will make her be the winner after evaluating the results. Therefore, it is true that Jane Bennet uses the game theory in her marriage. However, she is passive to manipulate her marriage. She uses the strategy that is following others’ instruction. Here are two evidences. First of all, Jane Bennet follows Mrs. Bennet’s instruction. When Caroline Bingley invites Jane to dine with her, Jane follows Mrs. Bennet’s instruction and goes on horseback. She successfully stays in Netherfield Hall and spends more time with Mr. Bingley. Assuming that Mrs. Bennet does not give Jane instruction, Jane will go by carriage and lose her valuable chance to spend more time with Mr. Bingley to grow up their love. Thus, Jane does not manipulate her marriage on her own initiative because she does not try her best to create chances to make her much closer to marry Mr. Bingley. She more depends on Mrs. Bennet to work out a way to help her.

Jane not only follows Mrs. Bennet’s instruction, but also follows Elisabeth Bennet’s suggestion to go to London. Jane receives a letter from Caroline Bingley and almost loses her hope to continue her relationship with Mr. Bingley. Elisabeth Bennet suggests her to go to London and she may meet him there. If Elisabeth did not make any suggestion to Jane, Jane would accept the reality and give up. Jane will be the loser in the game.

Jane Bennet manipulates her marriage with helps from Mrs. Bennet and Elisabeth Bennet. She relies on them too much and even does not figure out best ways to make her win the game. She only does the things Mrs. Bennet and Elisabeth Bennet suggest her to do. In other words, Mrs. Bennet and Elisabeth are the people who really manipulate Jane’s marriage. In summary, Jane passively receives others’ suggestions in her marriage game.

Here is the third example of different strategies of the game theory in Elisabeth Bennet’s marriage. Elisabeth Bennet is the second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. She is the most clover daughter among five daughters. According to what Mr. Bennet says, Elisabeth “has something more of quickness than her sisters. (Pride and Prejudice 3)” Elisabeth Bennet meets Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley’s friend who is still wealth, for the first time on the ball. Elisabeth finds that Mr. Darcy looks down upon her. She tells to Jane that she has no possibility to engage with him. After Elisabeth goes to Netherfield Hal to look after Jane, she ensures that Mr. Darcy is arrogant and even looked down upon her family. Elisabeth begins to hate Mr. Darcy. After Elisabeth and her family go back home from Netherfield Hall, Mr. Collins, her uncle who is a clergyman, comes to visit Bennets. All of them do not like him because he will inherits Mr. Bennet’s estate and he is also stupid in their eyes. Mr. Collins wants to engage with one of daughters of Mrs. Bennet. After listening to Mrs. Bennet’s suggestion, he provides a proposal to Elisabeth. However, Elisabeth refuses his proposal because she does not like him at all. Then she meets Mr. Wickham, an officer. She knows that Mr. Darcy does not follow his father’s wish to give Mr. Wickham the rectory. Elisabeth likes Mr. Darcy even less. However, Elisabeth changes her mind about Mr. Darcy after she knows the help he gives to her fallen sister Lydia. She begins to love him. When Caroline Bingley warns her that she is not suitable for Dr. Darcy and must stop the relationship with him, she refuses to follow her warning. Again, Elisabeth also refuses Dr. Darcy’s aunt Lady Catherine who plans to force her not to enter an engagement with Mr. Darcy. Finally, Elisabeth marries Mr. Darcy happily.

Elisabeth Bennet’s feeling towards Mr. Darcy is changing from hate to love. Her marriage is also like a game and Elisabeth also faces many choices in it. She has two vital choices in her marriage which will lead to different results. First of all, when Mr. Collins mentions a proposal to her, she needs to choose that she marries him or not. If she marries Mr. Collins, she will have money and even Mr. Bennet’s estate. However, she will not feel happy because she does not like Mr. Collins at all. She thinks that he is fool and gets used to flattering wealth people. If she does not marry him, she may lose the economic dependence after Mr. Bennet dies. Nevertheless, she will be happy because she need not do things against her own willingness. These lead to different results. One can bring her money and she need not worry about the rest of her life; the other one, on the contrary, she may lose economic power, but she will be happy. Elisabeth Bennet chooses not to marry Mr. Collins rather than forcing herself to marry him that she does not like at all.

Secondly, Elisabeth Bennet has to choose to promise Lady Catherine not to enter the engagement with Mr. Darcy or not. If she is sacred by Lady Catherine and chooses to make a promise, she will lose Mr. Darcy and her true love. It also means that she is scared by Lady Catherine and agrees with her that she does not have the honor to marry him. On the other hand, she will lose her economic dependence. Pretend that Elisabeth Bennet refuses to make a promise; she will continue her relationship with Mr. Darcy and her true love. She can both have her soul mate and economic dependence. Elisabeth Bennet makes a decision to pursue her true love so she refuses to make a promise even though her action will mad Lady Catherine.

Not only these two choices in Elisabeth Bennet’s marriage, but also the competition between her and Caroline Bingley. It is also a very important element in Elisabeth’s marriage. This textual analysis study is not going to talk about it deeply. The other study will focus on this point.

Like Jane Bennet, Elisabeth Bennet also needs to face many choices in her marriage and different choices will lead her to different results. Some choices create chances for her to get close to Mr. Darcy, but others may bring her far away from him. She chooses that actions that she can gets close to Mr. Darcy after evaluating results. However, when Elisabeth makes choices, she refuses everyone else’s instruction, which is totally different from Jane Bennet. Here are three evidences. Firstly, Elisabeth Bennet refuses Mr. Collins’ proposal. Mr. Collins plans to engage with her and he makes a long speech to persuade her. He even says that he will become her economic dependence if she can marry her. Actually, having an economic dependence is the potential goal of her marriage, which could have attracted her so well. However, Elisabeth refuses his proposal because she thinks he does not have the honor to marry her. Mr. Collins is stupid and flatters other wealth people, which is hated by her. Although Mr. Collin can be the economic dependence, she refuses him.

Secondly, she refuses Mrs. Bennet’s manipulation of her marriage with Mr. Collin. Mrs. Bennet is eager to manipulate Elisabeth and Mr. Collins because she thinks though Mr. Collins is not a likeable person, he can become a good economic dependence for Elisabeth. After Mrs. Bennet knows that Elisabeth refuses his proposal, she threatens Elisabeth that she does not want to see Elisabeth at all. What is more, she also persuades Mr. Bennet to talk to Elisabeth and forces her to change her decision. However, no matter how Mrs. Bennet threatens her, Elisabeth still chooses to refuse the proposal because she cannot marry a man she does not love at all in any case.

Thirdly, Elisabeth refuses to make a promise to Lady Catherine not to enter the engagement with Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine looks down upon her because she does not have honorable social status. Also she thinks she ruins her daughter’s relationship with Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine plans to insult her and makes her lose hopes. However, Elisabeth Bennet refuses to make the promise. She thinks that she has the honor to marry Mr. Darcy as long as Mr. Darcy really loves her. She still does not surrender of power. Lade Catherine’s social status cannot threaten her and force her. Elisabeth knows that she loves Mr. Darcy and refuses any suggestions that will make her leave far away from him. Elisabeth Bennet refuses Mr. Collins’ proposal, Mrs. Bennet’s manipulation and Lady Catherine’s unfair requirement. Therefore, Elisabeth Bennet is manipulating her marriage by herself.

Combining three marriages and considering their results, Lydia Bennet, Jane Bennet and Elisabeth Bennet all become the winners of their marriage games in the end. However, they use different strategies rather than using the same one. Lydia is clumsy to manipulate her marriage. She brings troubles to her family though she wins in the end. Jane Bennet passively engages in the relationship with Mr. Bingley. She does not really think ways to make her win the game. What she does is following the instructions given by Mrs. Bennet and Elisabeth Bennet. In other words, actually, Mrs. Bennet and Elisabeth are the people who really manipulate Jane’s marriage. If Jane does not have their instructions, she will fail in her game. Differently, Elisabeth Bennet refuses anyone else’s instructions in her game. She refuses Mr. Collins’ proposal and Mrs. Bennet’s manipulation. She even refuses to do what Lady Catherine wants her to do.

Therefor, we can assume that the role of strategies of game theory in Lydia Bennet, Jane Bennet and Elisabeth Bennet’s marriages are different. Lydia Bennet brings troubles to her family to win her game. Jane Bennet passively engages in her game and follows others’ instructions. Elisabeth Bennet refuses others’ instructions in her game. Although all of them are the winners in their own marriages, Jane and Elisabeth really love their husbands; Lydia only loves Mr. Wickham’s money and handsome appearance. It is very interesting to explore which one is more important for the women in late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, money or true love. Other analysis studies will focus on this point since I do not have time to discuss it here.

References

Alagona, Sandra L. "Revolution And Improvement In The Writings Of Jane Austin And Margaret Fuller." Dissertation Abstracts International, Section A: The Humanities And Social Sciences 71.8 (2011): 2887. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 2 May 2014.

Austen, Jane, 1775-1817. Pride And Prejudice. London: J. M. Dent & sons, ltd., 1913.

Cagle, Jeremey. "Elegant Complexity: The Presence of Cold War Game Theory in Postmodern American Fiction." Order No. 3402752 University of South Carolina, 2010. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. 3 May 2014.

Chwe, Michael Suk-Young. Jane Austen, Game Theorist. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014. Ebook Library. Web. 22 May. 2014.