Entirely A Matter of Chance

"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance." (Austen 23).

This quote is a good example both of Austen's irony and her character development. Pride and Prejudice is all about seeking a happy marriage. The Bennett sisters are, with their mother's avid encouragement, looking for a suitable marriage with a man whom they like who is in a good position financially. This line makes light of all this work, saying that there is no way to know whether a marriage will solicit felicity or not; it is a matter of luck.
This sentence, spoken in the book by Charlotte, Elizabeth's close friend, is also a good example of her character. She is portrayed as being very plain and unromantic. This quote exemplifies this; she doesn't believe that happiness in marriage is something easily attainable. Charlotte ends up in a marriage with a man she does not love because of this; she believes she would not get a better offer, so she took it.