He likes to have his own way very well,” replied Colonel Fitzwilliam. “But so we all do. It is only that he has better means of having it than many others, because he is rich, and many others are poor.

Jane Austen

“He likes to have his own way very well,” replied Colonel Fitzwilliam. “But so we all do. It is only that he has better means of having it than many others, because he is rich, and many others are poor. I speak feelingly. A younger son, you know, must be inured to self-denial and dependence.” And further on in the conversation, the Colonel continues about his own predicament, “-and perhaps I cannot say that I have experienced many hardships of that nature. But in matters of greater weight, I may suffer from the want of money. Younger sons cannot marry where they like.”

While there is a tendency to focus on the female point of view, what do men in this novel want out of marriage? Is their own happiness equally a matter of chance (as Charlotte would say)? How do these ideas apply to life and relationships today?