Dating and Marriage Advice From Literary Characters

Everyone has their own opinions about marriage and relationships. As soon as you become attached to someone, advice (mostly unwanted) begins flowing in. But to a newly wed couple or to a brand new relationship, it can be too much! So we compiled a list of some of the best pieces of advice in one place.

Frankly my dear, you should give a damn! Here is a list of do’s and don’ts:

What should you do when your significant other is a bit high strung or has some anxiety issues?

• You should follow Mr. Bennet’s example from Pride and Prejudice. “I have the utmost respect for your nerves. They’ve been my constant companion these twenty years.” He doesn’t scream, lose his temper, or run the other way. Instead, Mr. Bennet says things to make her smile and tries to appease her without completely bending to his will.

What should you do if you think your significant other loves someone else?

•  You could always take a page out of The Notebook. Noah hangs off the ferris wheel to force Allie to go out with him. Then he build her a house.

How should you respond when people are questioning your relationship?

• There will be people/parents that will doubt that your love is real. If that were to ever happen, the best course of action is to memorize this quote from Buttercup in The Princess Bride. “Westley and I are joined by the bond of love and you cannot track that, not with a thousand bloodhounds, and you cannot break it, not with a thousand swords.” There is no way to doubt you after this statement.

What do you do if you let your significant other get away? How do you win her back?

• This is a problem that so many different people face. Someone does something stupid or circumstances get in the way of the two of you being together. Well, there is a literary precedent for that as well. When Daisy got away from Gatsby, he did what every red blooded American man should do. He made a fortune, bought the house across the bay from her, and invited her to lavish parties. Then you just have to wait for the green light.This may be a little tricky but I have faith in you!

What should you do when you and your wife disagree about disciplining your children?

• Take a page out of the Weasley’ spellbook from when the twins and Ron saved Harry from the Dursley’s when they locked him in his room. Mrs. Weasley was obviously very upset because the boys could have been in a lot of danger. However Mr. Weasley was distracted by the fact that the boys had taken the flying car out. Mrs. Weasley hits his arm and he quickly changes his tone. “I mean, that was very wrong indeed boys. Very wrong of you.”

Our final piece of advice comes from, what is in my opinion, what is one of the most romantic books of all time. What should you do if your significant other is really sick?

• You should follow Landon’s plan from A Walk to Remember and make their bucket list come true.