The Individualization of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice
Midway through Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet arrives at a moment of self-awakening which, notably, results from the influence of someone else: Fitzwilliam Darcy. For critic Susan Fraiman, this complication amounts to no less than, as she titles her article, "The Humiliation of Elizabeth Bennet." From this moment forward, according to Fraiman, Elizabeth Bennet ceases to think for herself. She submits to Darcy as to a second father, relinquishes her trust in her own judgments, and thereby suffers a "loss of clout."1 This pivotal moment comes because, after Elizabeth has rejected his proposal, Darcy justifies himself in a lengthy letter. It is true
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Susan Fraiman would have it that "Darcy's determination to inflict seems matched by Elizabeth's to be afflicted," and that by using Elizabeth's ill-founded accusations as evidence, Darcy so emotionally humiliates Elizabeth for having rejected him that "they coincide in their enthusiasm for her humiliation."4 Unfortunately, Fraiman chooses to back up her point with the following quotation:
How despicably have I acted!' she cried.-"I, who have prided myself on my discernment!-I, who have valued my abilities! Who often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity, in useless or blameable distrust.-How humiliating this discovery!-Yet, how just a humiliation! (137, italics mine)
Although Elizabeth's "humiliation" is clearly painful, she does not revel in it. She neither wallows in her shame nor lashes out in anger; instead, she immediately moves on. Fraiman ignores the power of Elizabeth's full cry; because Elizabeth is able to admit the justice of Darcy's painful revelations, she is able to deal objectively with her mistake. And by justly recognizing she has done wrong, she ascends out of her "humiliation" and beyond her ego to the clear mindedness of "a judgment...unassailed by any attention to herself"
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Any pain she experiences is pain that she bravely inflicts upon herself because she knows that she is able to overcome such pain. Therefore, however highly Elizabeth esteems Jane's decorum, she can now realize that Jane's "complacency in her air and manner" (137) has indirectly resulted in the injustice she has erroneously imputed to Darcy: Bingley's departure from Netherfield. Early in the novel, Elizabeth has ignored her friend Charlotte's warning that Jane's circumspect manner has driven off Bingley: "Bingley likes your sister undoubtedly; but he may never do more than like her, if she does not help him on" (15). Later, when Colonel Fitzwilliam informs Elizabeth that Darcy has encouraged Bingley to leave Jane and move to London, Elizabeth has assumed that Darcy snobbishly wishes to protect Bingley from Jane's inferior position in society. On the contrary, Darcy explains to Elizabeth in his letter, his genuine concern is for Bingley's feelings as opposed to Bingley's status. Observing Jane's behavior towards his friend, Darcy believes that she is not in love with Bingley. By releasing Bingley from what Darcy thinks is a match based in unreciprocated affection, Darcy honestly has his friend's best interest in mind. It is in reviewing Jane's past conduct, that Elizabeth now comes to the painful conclusion that
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Elizabeth's strength of character is emphasized by its contrast with the weak, naive acceptance of Jane's, the instability and excess of Mrs. Bennet's and the blind, weak-willed following of Kitty's. Her strength is also shown in her rejections of the proposals of Mr. Collins and Darcy. Unlike her mother, she does not base her choice of lovers on the financial security they will give her, and has the strength to reject them. This is especially evident in her rejection of Darcy's initial proposal, when she displays a passionate strength in her anger due to her belief that he has willfully prevented Jane and Bingley's marriage and wronged Wickham by refusing to grant him the property that the old Mr. Darcy bequeathed him. In both cases, the suitor is self-assured that his suit will be accepted, and as a result Elizabeth's rejections are amplified by the size of the blows that their egos receive. In Rosings, she does not let Lady Catherine tyrannize her as "the mere satellites of money and rank, she thought she could witness without trepidation." The Lucases and Collinses are submissive to Lady Catherine, with Maria being "frightened almost out of her senses", and it is probable that society as a whole behaves likewise, as Elizabeth suspects she is "the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with such dignified impertinence". She is again presented as a rebel against ideas of class when Lady Catherine pays a visit to her to ensure that ...
Darcy, the illusion that Mr. Wickham had built surrounding himself was now shattered: “How different did everything appear in which he was concerned.” Elizabeth now realizes her mistakes, which her prejudice was built and hopefully will never fall for such deceit again. Mr. Darcy is not the only one who is haughty, Elizabeth’s pride takes a massive blow after reading the letter, “she grew absolutely ashamed.” Realizing her mistakes will make Elizabeth grow as a person as she realizes how despicable she was, and has learned from her mistakes. Elizabeth had always thought she had the perfect judgement, but in fact she was horribly blind: “Till this moment I never knew myself.” Elizabeth now sees that she has flaws and it got in the way of her judgement rendering it blind. It is in maturity that people see their flaws; now Elizabeth has to make sure the same mistakes does not happen again. It was only after her prejudice of Mr. Darcy was finally gone that Elizabeth realized her true feelings towards him: “She explained what it’s [the letter] effect on her had been, and how gradually all her former prejudice has been removed.” After reading the letter, Elizabeth was able to realize her flaws as a character and grow into maturity and because of that she was able to see her true feelings about Mr.
This novel is mainly focused on Elizabeth Bennet as she struggles to overcome her prejudices about Darcy, a rich and handsome suitor who has taken a liking to her, while the tales of the other Bennet sisters as they grapple with their own prejudices and search for the truth unfolds concurrently. Jane Austen suggests through events in the novel that structuring the truth to fit one’s personal idealism and prejudices can unfairly color one’s opinion of another and inhibit one from finding self-fulfillment. The interplay between truth and idealism will be explored in this essay by analyzing how idealism influences truth, the difference between the idealistic interpretation and reality in Pride and Prejudice, and the effect of using idealism to construe the
After everyone has left for Rosings, Elizabeth is still fuming from the news that Darcy was the cause of Jane and Bingley's break up. Elizabeth is then startled by the arrival of Darcy. After a few minutes of silence, Darcy shocks Elizabeth with a sudden declaration of love for her and a proposal of marriage. In the beginning Elizabeth is flattered in spite of her deeply rooted prejudice against Darcy. Elizabeth's feelings soon turn to rage as Darcy catalogs all the reasons why he did not pursue his feelings earlier. These reasons include her inferior social class and her family obstacles.
Both of these issues caused her anger and discontent towards mr.darcy because she had strong feelings for mr.wickham and believed such a good person did not deserve to be mistreated. And with jane, she was angered because she believed mr.bingley and jane could have been happy together and that mr.darcy had ruined any opportunity of that.
5) This demonstrates how Elizabeth’s ego plays a large role in how she perceives others. Because Mr. Darcy offends Elizabeth when they first meet, she is led to believe that he cannot be anything but what she already perceives him to be, an insolent and prideful man. Later, the reader is made aware of Mr. Darcy’s growing attraction and attention toward Elizabeth, however, Elizabeth continues to believe that Mr. Darcy is “the only man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough…” (Ch. 6)Elizabeth’s view of Mr. Darcy demonstrates her close-mindedness to reasonable thinking; while Mr. Darcy’s opinion of Elizabeth is changing, she is prejudice against him, basing her viewpoint on how he acts and his offence against her; she cannot get past her first impression of Mr. Darcy. After Mr. Darcy unexpectedly asks Elizabeth to dance, she speaks with Charlotte about the prospect of dancing with him. When Charlotte tries to console her by suggesting that he may not be as bad as she thinks,
Darcy as a selfish, vain man at first and he is the second to propose to Elizabeth and swiftly denied. Mr. Darcy’s overbearing phrase “You must allow me to tell you,” has a dominant tone, implied by the demand: “you must” (Austen 185). Mr. Darcy’s superiority, even in confessing his love, cuts off the possibility of personal attachment by placing him and Elizabeth on two different levels and repels love for him by condescending her with dominance. Elizabeth being a character of independence and strong will, his superiority over her is an insult. Mr. Darcy’s high status gives him credibility as well as his brutal honesty: “In vain have I struggled” (Austen 185). He tells her outright that he has tried to resist his feelings for her, but he cannot, which tells one that he is not lying. Especially with his reputation of not associating outside his social group, the reader understands this must be outside his comfort zone to be “tempted” by one inferior to him. However, his credibility is trodden underfoot by his insulting language and lack of
Fraiman, Susan. "The Humiliation of Elizabeth Bennet." Unbecoming Women: British Women Writers and the Novel of Development (1993): Rpt. in Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Ed. Donald Gray 3rd ed. Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 2001. 356-368
Austen observes through the female characters of Pride and Prejudice that the perfect woman, by 19th century standards, doesn’t seem to exist, and when she does there is some degree of misfortune in her path. She explores this notion chiefly through satire and irony, as the type of woman the female characters strive for is not always the most desirable. Through indirect characterization and tone, it becomes apparent that each female character is characterized positively or negatively, which allows for each character’s conclusion to be fully explained and understood.
The reader is first acquainted with Mr. Darcy's arrogance at the Meryton Ball. Speaking of Elizabeth Bennet, he so snobbishly says that she was, " tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me" (Austen 9). His feelings of superiority to the people of the town lend Mr. Darcy to be judged as a man with a repulsive and cruel personality. The women, who had found him dashingly attractive at first glance, deemed him a man unworthy of marriage because he offered no positive qualities other than wealth. Not only did Darcy refuse to dance with Elizabeth, but he makes it clear that no woman in the room was worthy or met his standards of a suitable partner stating that, " there is not another woman in this room, whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with" (Austen 8). In the beginning of the novel, Mr. Darcy is only concerned with the wealth and social standing of the people in the town. Because of their lesser social rank, he feels they are un-deserving of his presence and refuses to communicate with them. As the novel progressed, however, Darcy became more and more accepting of the Bennet family. Growing most fond of Elizabeth Bennet, the straightforward, clever daughter, he finally breaks and confesses his true feelings of love for her. "In vain...
While this is going on, Mr. Darcy realizes he has feelings for Elizabeth and proposes to her, this is the climax of the novel. She is astonished by his actions, and turns him flat. She explains that she feels he is arrogant, and feels he stood in the way of Jane and Mr. Bingley marrying, and also feels he is a cruel man, especially in his treating of Mr. Wickham, she is expressing her prejudice towards him. He leaves and they part very angry with each other. Mr. Darcy then writes Elizabeth a letter, explaining his feelings, defending his actions, and revealing the true nature of Mr. Wickham.
The main protagonist of the story, Elizabeth Bennet (nicknamed both Lizzy and Eliza), is the second daughter in the Bennet family. Second only to her elder sister in beauty, Elizabeth’s figure is said to be “light and pleasing,” with “dark eyes,” and “intelligent…expression” (24). At 20 years old, she is still creating her place in society. Known for her wit and playful nature, “Elizabeth is the soul of Pride and Prejudice, [she] reveals in her own person the very title qualities that she spots so easily” (“Pride and Prejudice”) in others. Her insightfulness often leads her to jump to conclusions and think herself above social demand. These tendencies lead her to be prejudice towards others; this is an essential characteristic of her role
At this ball, Elizabeth is briefly introduced to a man named Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy is a rich and proud man who is misunderstood by the main characters throughout most of the novel. Upon becoming acquainted, Elizabeth uses first impressions and opinions taken from others to form her own opinion of Mr. Darcy as a prideful, pretentious snob with whom she wants nothing to do with. Elizabeth cites his arrogance as Mr. Darcy's major flaw after others influence her opinions. One of Elizabeth's closest friends says of Darcy, "I beg you would not put it into Lizzy's head to be vexed by such ill treatment; for he is such a disagreeable man that it would be quite a misfortune to be liked by him" (pg 18).
The roles of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice are contrasted between a father who cares about what’s inside of people and a mother who only worries about vanity and appearance. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s parental guidance is unique to their personalities. Because of their two opposing personas, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s ideas of marriage are contradictory for their daughters; Mr. Bennet believes in a loving respectful marriage whereas Mrs. Bennet values a marriage which concerns wealth and social status. Their aspirations for Lydia, Jane, Mary, Kitty and Elizabeth mirror their conflicting ideologies. Mr. Bennet seems to have a quiet deep love for his daughters while, on the contrary, Mrs. Bennet’s love is over-acted and conditional. Both parents help to shape their daughters’ characteristics and beliefs: Lydia reflecting Mrs. Bennet’s flighty and excessive behavior while Elizabeth inherits Mr. Bennet’s pensive and reflective temperament. Looking past their dissimilar personality traits and contradicting convictions, both parents hold the family together and play an integral role in the household structure.