Category: Elizabeth Bennet

“Pride and Prejudice” and “Jane Eyre” are two famous British novels written by Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte and regarded as literary treasures. During the Victorian period, men and women’s roles became more sharply defined than any time in history. As the 19th century progressed, men increasingly commuted to their place of work whereas women, daughters, and sisters were left at home all day to occupy with their domestic duties. Men were said to bring money in the family and women were considered to be weaker, dependent and driven by them. It is generally acknowledged that middle class British women had little choice. They did not get a substantial education and they had no many employment opportunities. Marriage was the only solution as they were searching for financial support and security from the potential husbands. Yet, as we can see in both novels, the female figures contrast the typical female gender roles of Victorian England society by speaking up and holding on to their individuality.

Regarding Jane’s Austen novel “Pride and Prejudice”, the female-protagonist Elizabeth contrasts obviously the typical female gender roles of that period. She has a sharp tongue and she states her opinion directly, which often astonish those who believe that women cannot be allowed such liberty. For example, during her conversation with Lady Catherine, who is a very powerful woman, she answers a lot of questions and asserts her opinion on the social norms:

“But really, Ma’am, I think it would be very hard upon younger sisters, that they should not have their share of society and amusement because the elder may not have the means or inclination to marry early.- The last born has as good a right to the pleasures of youth as the first.- And to be kept back on such a motive!- I think it would not be very likely to promote sisterly affection or delicacy of mind” (Austen, Pride and Prejudice, p.187).

Elizabeth’s opinions are not the products of social conventions but they are the products of common sense:

“Suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence” (Austen, Pride and Prejudice, p.187).

Elizabeth proves herself to be a modern woman and does not care about class and rank. In addition, even her attitude towards marriage is different. She wants to marry out of love, not just so that she would be financially secured. Her romantic values also contrast those of society:

“I do assure you that I am not one of those young ladies (if such young ladies there are) who are so daring as to risk their happiness on the chance of being asked a second time. I am perfectly serious in my refusal.—You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who would make you so” (Austen, Pride and Prejudice, p.120).

Elizabeth fights for the things she wants and believes in and she is not a woman whom someone could easily scare. Again, Elizabeth proves to be an independent and intelligent lady who does not care about the opinion of others; she does what she thinks to be the best for her.

Passing now to the great novel of Charlotte Bronte “Jane Eyre”, we can easily detect elements which show another strong, powerful and rebellious spirit of women in the Victorian society, just like Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice:

“I laughed at him as he said this. “I am not an angel,” I asserted; “and I will not be one till I die; I will be myself, Mr. Rochester; you must neither expect nor exact anything celestial of me, for you will not get it any more than I shall get it of you, which I do not at all anticipate”.

Jane responds to Mr. Rochester’s demands regarding their wedding. She makes it clear to Mr. Rochester that she wants to be true to herself and hold her autonomy despite his failed attempts to plan travels and buy expensive gifts for her. Jane contrasts the typical female gender roles of Victorian England society by speaking up without her voice shaking, even in the face of marriage.

“We were born to strive and endure-you as well as I do so. You will forget me before I forget you” (Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, p. 369).

Jane declares her complicated relationship with Rochester. She makes her own decisions to leave her master, leave Thornfield to survive with her principles:

“He had not imagined that a woman would dare to speak so to a man. For me, I felt at home in this sort of discourse. I could never rest in communication with strong, discreet, and refined minds, whether male or female, till I had passed the outworks of conventional reserve, and crossed the threshold of confidence, and won a place by their heart’s very hearth-stone’ (Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, Chapter 32).

Jane’s observations reveal that St. John is astonished by her directness when Jane points out that St. John Rivers trembles and is flushed whenever Miss Oliver enters. Through Jane the reader learns how St. John Rivers is surprised by her direct approach because it is not expected of a woman in their society. Jane continuously goes against female gender role expectations by speaking freely and confidently, often impressing males with her courage.

To conclude, female characters in Jane Austen’s and Charlotte Bronte’s novels represent their heroines’ unconventional attitude toward marriage and everyday life. Even though the two main characters may vary in spirit, ideas, way of life etc. there are some similarities between them. They both speak up and find their voices, they contrast the gender stereotypes of that period and they are strong and willing to do anything in the name of love.

During the 19th century and earlier, the practice of entering a marriage solely for the purpose of moving up in social standing and choosing someone based on their financial status was a customary behavior. Women of that time sought a wealthy family to marry into, in order to secure a safe lifestyle after marriage. However, in the 19th century, a conflict arose as many people started to question the basis and purpose of authentic and successful marriages. Women like Jane Austen publicly criticized and satirized the marriage tradition of her time and set examples of what she believed to be a perfect couple through her characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, in her novel Pride & Prejudice.

Elizabeth Bennet was the second daughter of the Bennet family—a reasonably well-off family—and the most intelligent and quick-witted amongst her family, whereas Fitzwilliam Darcy was the son of a wealthy, well-established family and the master of the great estate of Pemberley. Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship is neither wholly based on a quest for money on Elizabeth’s part or emotions that blind the couple from all other important aspects of life, depicting a balance, thus becoming the model for Austen’s image of a perfect couple and for true love. Although their relationship didn’t start off as an ideal relationship, they still found love for each other, which helped them build their characters for the better.

Elizabeth and Darcy began their relationship by judging one another harshly based on first impressions. Mr. Darcy’s initial contempt of Elizabeth is evident when he forms an immediate impression of Elizabeth the first time he sees her at a ball. Mr. Bingley suggests that Darcy takes Elizabeth as a dance partner, but Darcy declines on the grounds that she lacks beauty and “is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt [Mr. Darcy] (Austen, 8)’, and persists in criticizing her and will not allow himself to see her as pretty. However, his attitude toward her takes a turn fairly rapidly, when he himself notices her manners, expressive eyes, intelligence, and nice figure pleases him. To his own astonishment, he “wishes to know more of her (Austen, 15)’. Thus, the gradual development of Mr. Darcy commences.

Elizabeth similarly starts out with a negative first impression of Mr. Darcy. She including others judge him to be too proud not long after he arrives at the dance at Meryton, but when she overhears his reasons for not asking her to dance, she “remains with no very cordial feelings toward him (Austen, 8)’. Following the dance, Mrs. Bennet comments on Darcy’s pride and rudeness, to which Elizabeth replies that she “safely promises never to dance with him (Austen, 15)’, clearly demonstrating her initial disdain. Even after Mr. Darcy begins to warm up to Elizabeth, she tells Mr. Wickham that she finds Darcy to be very disagreeable. Upon hearing Mr. Wickham’s woeful tale, in which Mr. Darcy is the villain, she further judges Mr. Darcy’s character as despicable. Elizabeth requires a little more time than Mr. Darcy to be persuaded and convinced to perceive beyond her prejudice of Mr. Darcy.

When Mr. Darcy pays a visit to the Collins’ abode during Elizabeth’s stay at Charlotte Lucas’ new home (Elizabeth’s best friend), Charlotte observes Mr. Darcy’s presence to be unusual as he wouldn’t “come so soon to wait upon [Charlottle] (Austen, 147)’ and reasons that it is due to Elizabeth’s presence. This observation attests to Darcy’s growing affection for Elizabeth. Later, Elizabeth attends Rosings, the home of Lady Catherine, with Charlotte and her husband and Elizabeth’s cousin, Mr. Collins. Mr. Darcy visits Rosings at the same time and engages in a very civil, at times even playful, conversation with Elizabeth regarding the misfortunes of prejudgment. He reveals that he regrets having made such hasty judgment of Elizabeth, exhibiting that he has grown beyond his pride and now can perceive his own feelings and their fundamental compatibility. His feelings of fondness for Elizabeth continue to grow until he can no longer repress them, and calls on her at Charlotte’s to tell her “how ardently [he] admires and loves (Austen, 162)’ her and asks for her hand in marriage. Unfortunately, though he has come to love her, he still sees her as below him because of her financial and social situation. He makes no effort to hide his feelings of superiority from Elizabeth, causing her to turn him down. Darcy’s arrogant marriage proposal infuriates her and her attitude toward Darcy corresponds to the judgments she has previously made about him as being too arrogant. She informs him that she cannot express gratitude for the offer because she has “never desired [Darcy’s] good opinion”, and he has “certainly bestowed it unwillingly (Austen, 163)’. She recognizes that he still sees her as beneath him and that he views this prejudice as something merely to deal with rather than to expel. Also, she refuses him because of the role she believes Mr. Darcy played in disinheriting Wickham and his admitted role in disrupting the romance between Jane and Bingley, still acting according to her own biases and misunderstandings.

After his rejection by Elizabeth, Darcy writes her a letter in which he assures her that he will not reiterate his marriage proposal but writes to amend her misconceptions of the situation with Wickham. When Elizabeth receives Darcy’s letter, she at first wants to disregard it, “protesting…that she would never look in it again (Austen, 139)’. Then she recalls Wickham’s behavior when he told her of all of Mr. Darcy’s misdeeds. As much as she wants to believe the best about Wickham and the worst about Darcy, she can no longer deny that Wickham is evidently the false one while Mr. Darcy is telling the truth. The letter reveals the truth about Wickham’s relationship to Darcy and consequently shifts sympathy from Wickham to Darcy. Darcy’s letter begins a humbling process for both Elizabeth and him, which results in the maturation of each of their attitudes toward the other. In Darcy’s case, the rejection of his proposal strikes a blow to his pride and compels him to respond to Elizabeth’s anger. The resulting letter reveals to Elizabeth how she misjudged both him and Wickham. With the extent of her mistaken prejudice suddenly apparent, she is humbled enough to begin to look at Darcy in a new light.

Visiting Pemberley further depicts the development of Elizabeth’s character and demonstrates the slow, steady growth of her love for Mr. Darcy. A beautiful and natural landscape surrounds Darcy’s home. His elegant furnishings demonstrate exquisite, but not ostentatious, taste. His housekeeper has nothing but wonderful things to say about him and confirms Darcy’s version of Wickham’s story. As Elizabeth stands in his home, she thinks of his home as a place she “might have been mistress (Austen, 208)’ of. Darcy’s unexpected arrival surprises and embarrasses Elizabeth, but he treats her kindly, which left her “amazed at the alteration in his manner since they last parted (Austen, 213)’. Darcy has changed his conduct toward her and become a perfect gentleman. This courteous behavior illustrates his love for her and compels the growth of her evaluation of him. His ability to overcome his pride in much the same way that Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice gives Elizabeth hope that her rejection of him has not caused him to give up and that he may propose again under different terms.

Moreover, when Elizabeth finds out that her sister, Lydia, has run off with Wickham, amid all the turmoil she turns to Darcy and exposes her emotions in front of him potraying the closeness she feels with him. Darcy immediately sets out to find them, and when he does find them, he uses his own financial means to settle a marriage between them. He keeps it a secret, but Lydia lets it slip to Elizabeth. This hints that Darcy’s feelings for Elizabeth have not altered and Elizabeth’s secret hope of obtaining Darcy’s love will soon come true. The happy conclusion to Bingley’s courtship of Jane suggests that Darcy no longer cares about the Bennet sisters’ low social status. Whereas Darcy previously disrupted the romance between Bingley and Jane in order to protect his friend’s social status, he now allows their love to triumph over their class differences and Lydia’s scandal, further illustrating his character development. Ultimately, Elizabeth’s denial to promise Lady Catherine to not marry Mr. Darcy and conveying the impression that if Mr. Darcy were to propose again, she would accept it, confirms that her feelings toward Mr. Darcy are now what his were towards her earlier.

Because Elizabeth and Darcy allow their impressions of one another to continually change throughout the novel as more truths are revealed to them, they fall in love. If both of them had clung to that first judgment of the other, Elizabeth and Darcy would never have seen in each other the person they were meant to love for the rest of their lives, and their characters would not have grown to become more mature and unbiased. Their marriage proves how genuine love for one another in a relationship can help improve each other.

Austen’s quote from Persuasion overtly and skilfully encompasses and defends the idea of how women are capable of self-correcting themselves, being perfectly flawed yet finding the strength in learning from their mistakes, achieving personal growth. In her novels she does not make the central heroine to be perfect, rather highlights their flaws and how they overcome it leading to personal growth. She alluds to how the heroines are capable of realising their mistake and correcting it and making decisions for themselves. It implies how the heroines are transparent about their flaws yet are built with a strong sense of moral conscience and virtue which guides them to acknowledge their shortcomings to become better. The development of the heroine by becoming self-aware and inward enlightenment revolving around being a woman, interpersonal relationships and society would constitute the core of my essay.

Elizabeth Bennet is one of the most famous heroines from Jane Austen’s novels. Her smart, quick-witted and lively character made her the central attraction in Pride and Prejudice. She often adopts independent perspective and makes self-decisions while traversing through familial and social turmoil, most of the time, breaking the reader’s expectation as well as the social constrains. Her capacity of irony is what primarily makes her the important character, the heroine. This ability allows her to make judgement yet not completely unveil her true intentions behind her remarks in situations. Her mistaken judgement of Darcy and Wickham, coming to terms with it later, realising her harsh and impulsive judgement was indeed wrong, leads her astray. She confronts and her overcomes her prejudices by building on her strong moral conscience and self-sufficiency. Her initial flawed characteristic of making judgements based on appearance rather than reality is what led her to expect an emotional relationship with Wickham because of his looks and charms and is what led her to have a disliking towards Darcy “without any reason” (Austen, 280). Elizabeth continues, for a span of twenty chapters to take Wickham’s side in spite of continuous warning and advises given by Mrs. Gardner and Jane. Ironically, Elizabeth dismisses them claiming they are prejudiced towards Wickham when in reality it was actually her who was. She goes, even to an extent, to reject Darcy’s proposal by ironically criticising him and the whole idea of marriage “no such happy marriage could now teach the admiring multitude what connubial felicity really was” (Austen, 384) however uses the very same technique towards the end to praise Darcy in being superior to Willoughby “Oh, no! . . . In essentials, I believe, he is very much what he ever was” (Austen, 291).

The point of epiphany in the narrative is Darcy’s letter which Elizabeth decides to read with an open and rational mind. This allowed her to see Wickham’s inconsistencies and lack of goodness which was blatant all the while which she was oblivious to, making her realise how “blind, partial and prejudiced” (Austen, 259) she was. “I could easily forgive HIS pride, if he had not mortified MINE” (Austen, 23). She readily accepted Wickham’s false statements regarding Darcy which further propelled Elizabeth to create reasons to provoke Darcy and dislike him. Consequently Wickham was deliberately feeding Elizbeth’s inflamed pride and cynical wit. In doing so, she failed to comprehend Darcy was in fact the right man to provide her with social advancement and emotional fulfilment. Following the epiphanic letter, Elizabeth undergoes a psychological process of private condemnation and self-reflection in transforming herself into the righteous heroine, which ultimately aids her in marrying Darcy. Elizabeth’s acceptance of her mistake and sense of regret is what propelled her to become self-aware of her deficiency and work toward rectifying her mistakes. She re-evaluates her stance and judgements which is explicit as she makes this statement “How despicably I have acted. ….. Till this moment I never knew myself” (Austen, 259). Elizabeth visiting Pemberley, her last pre-conceived notions of prejudice against Darcy is removed, the housekeeper’s praise of her master, the admirable state of the estate and gentleman mannerism of Darcy in treating her. Elizabeth was ashamed of her previous reckless attitude towards Darcy and was grateful towards him for still loving her the same and being able to forgive into accepting her. Her self-awareness in correcting herself not just led her into a personal growth, but also made her achieve the mind to pay attention to others’ perceptive and gain courage in standing up for her convictions. This is what led her to overcome the trifling social barrier between Elizabeth and Darcy.

The novel set in a time and place where marriages were done for political and social gains than emotional attachment, Elizabeth’s transformation played a vital role in her being able to gather courage to confront domineering personalities of higher status in social circles. The interview by Lady Catherine provided as an opportunity for Elizabeth to reinstate her standing about her marriage to Darcy in spite of her sister’s elopement. She stood by her conviction that marriages does not always have to be a business deal or a method to keep up social status, rather could be out of pure feelings for one another. This act is blatant in showing the successful transformation of the heroine in not just becoming self-aware and rectifying her flaws, but also becoming a persona that impels larger changes within the narrative.

“In a patriarchal society, economic power conquers all.” Compare and contrast, in light of this view, how wealth affects relationships in Chaucer’s ‘Wife of Bath ’and Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice.

A patriarchal social system can be defined as a system where males are in authority over females in all aspects of society where their economic power gives them the ability to influence the behaviour of others through deliberate and politically motivated use of economic assets thus specifically, in this instance, allowing them domination over relationships and marriage. Ironically, by looking at Alisoun, The Wife of Bath, Chaucer agrees with this view as she is presented in a powerful, wealthy position which grants her to marry five times. However, Alisoun’s gender raises question of dispute by contradicting the idea of patriarchy. Conversely and appropriately in the context of the Regency era, in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice the men radiate economic power, especially Mr. Darcy and Bingley, which attracts the opposite sex which is how society was propagated.

With one of the most famous lines in literature, ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single in man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife’ Austen sets out her narrative’s premise. This statement, while introducing the idea that marriage is often a business transaction at this time, also foregrounds the satirical tone of the novel. This is emphasized by the staccato structure of the last clause which lends Austen’s sentence a comical timbre. The writer’s intentions in terms of the style of writing are made very clearly; she is not interested in visualising the world she describes but, through the use of irony and satire, Austen employs realism as her chosen mode of writing. While hiring economy as a lens to focus on men, she implies – with a scornful tone- that the need of a female partner is a life necessity which one ‘must’ equally be in ownership of.

Additionally, the narrator’s position is mirrored by Elizabeth’s behaviour who offers a conventional defence of satire aimed at human folly only though she hopes she ‘will never ridicule what is wise or good’. Chapter 11 gives an ideal depiction of the caustic attitude adopted by the novel whilst touching upon superiority – a matter given by social class hierarchy and wealth. While Elizabeth subtly mocks Darcy that he ‘ís not to be laughed at’, carrying the conversation in a light-hearted manner, Darcy chooses a grave seriousness in response to the ‘tolerable’ companion as he considers ‘follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies’ a weakness to possess. Darcy’s pronouncement that ‘where there is real superiority of mind, pride will always be under good regulation’ implies that he considers himself a cultured and knowledgeable – a privilege given to him by his social class that contextually not many could afford – which puts him in a position of control thus supporting the view that money and wealth allow him to conquer pride.

Similarly, Chaucer introduces a powerful, experienced Wife of Bath through her prologue, ‘Experience, though noon auctoritee/ Were in this world, were right y-nough to me/ To speke of wo that is in mariage’. It is revealed that the wife had married five times and thus the view is supported as she has no children revealing her principal reason for marrying so often is solely for economic power as is in Austen’s time. The introductory line implies that marriage is just a burden for her which frankly places her in a superior position to the Bennet sisters in ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and their mother’s view that all should marry as a matter of urgent necessity. By having both writers place the idea of how economics affect relationships from the very beginning, symbolically the importance of marriage as a serious business in the context of the Regency era and the Middle Age is reiterated.

‘If you’re looking for a nice, neat relationship between teller and tale, you’ll miss out on the fascinating contradictions and ironies produced by Chaucer’s complex mix of voices, which both undermine the genre of the tale and raise questions about the underlying ideas it claims to promote.’ So argues Dr Katherine Limmer. Conversely to Austen whose writing intents are candid and straight-forward, Chaucer hires density within the disputes put forward under an ironic façade. In the Middle Ages, literature was filled with the favourite theme of vilifying the frailty of women, however, Chaucer’s tale is not a moral denunciation for or against women. He has created a woman in the person of the Wife of Bath who both exemplifies all that has been charged against females but openly glorifies the possession of the respective qualities asking the reader to accept a woman’s point of view and, perhaps, even feel sympathy for her.

Beneath a comic surface lie nuances, paradoxes and contradictions that a reader must be alert to in order to understand the realities of the contemporary world the novel tackles – particularly women’s place in it. One common view of Jane Austen is that her novels typically present powerless, penniless women, whom are desperate to marry their way into the world, else having to face financial hardship and loneliness which a superficial reading of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ could easily lead to. In an age when mass-market fiction tended to feature impoverished heroines who had to earn the love of immaculate, socially superior men, the novel provides an innovative contrast to this stereotype. Comedy, as is characteristic of Austen’s writing, is counterbalanced by an awareness of poignant alternatives. Elizabeth Bennet, in particular, presents a strong independence of mind and spirited freedom of her thinking about the world, even in spite of the pressures caused by its narrowness, snobbery and the restrictions of its conventions. When challenged by Lady Catherine de Bourgh upon her rumoured engagement to her nephew, Mr. Darcy, interrogates her if she is ‘resolved to have him’. Elizabeth maintains a dignified, but determined stance claiming she has ‘said no such thing. I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or any person so wholly unconnected with me’. Within the limits of her situation she is an extremely strong young woman, however, her strength does not go beyond the conventional propriety of a daughter and a wife; duty to marrying into wealth remains the central to the female agenda

Before the Renaissance, women of medieval Europe often came to prominence primarily through their family connections, through marriage or motherhood, or as their father’s heir when there were no male heirs, women also occasionally rose above their culturally restricted roles. A few women, like Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, made their way to the forefront of accomplishment and power through their own efforts. Similarly to Elizabeth Bennet, the Wife is witty, intelligent and equally opinionated coming over as a brave and revolutionary figure. In her Prologue, the Wife challenges a patriarchal world, empowering herself with her voice and body as she defies the strict conventions of marriage in Medieval society by selectively quoting and emphasising notions from the Bible to prove her point. The Wife sees marriage and relationships as business transactions arguing that ‘a knowing woman’s work is never done to get a lover if she hasn’t one’ (look up original version) implying that for a shrewd woman the idea of marriage goes beyond love as seeking for financial stability instead seems to beby far more crucial. Throughout her prologue, the wife uses rhetorics to rebel against the idea of being pure and marrying once when cleverly using examples from the Old Testament , such as King Solomon who ‘we hear he had a thousand of wives or so’ . Having Solomon – a fabulously wealthy and wise king – to compare, the Wife makes the reader question why is it acceptable for a man to marry so often, but when a woman ought to do so, her actions are instantly frowned upon further manipulating the reader to question society’s conventional standards of men and women. Ultimately, drawing on a feminist thought the Wife does a valuable job of shamelessly attacking societal expectations of women making her a Medieval heroine unlike Elizabeth Bennett who though presents a gallant stance, she is limited within her social situation.

Joe Wright has portrayed Elizabeth correctly and in accordance to how Jane Austen intends her to be viewed. He does this by using relevant cinematography, sound effects, editing and mise-en-scene to contribute to the overall effect of Elizabeth’s character in the film. Elizabeth remains constant with her beliefs and does not accept the marriage proposals of two very capable men. Patriarchy in the nineteenth century was prevalent. It involved women marrying men of equal status, men dominating the household and being the breadwinners of the family, women having “less significant” roles than men and a difference in education for the different genders. Elizabeth’s personality challenges patriarchy. Elizabeth does not always behave with the utmost propriety and social decorum. She defies expectations by being strong-minded, stubborn and proud.

The Oxford dictionary defines patriarchy as “a system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is reckoned through the male line” (Press, 2019). Mr. Bennet is the head of the Bennet family. Elizabeth is his most beloved daughter because they can relate to one another easily as they are the “two more intelligent members of the Bennet family” (Barnes & Noble, 2019). Mr. Bennet treats his daughters differently –Elizabeth and Jane are favoured while Mary, Lydia, and Kitty are not. In this way, he reinforces the patriarchal image of women – “Jane is beautiful and Elizabeth is intelligent”, but his other daughters are of little interest to him because they aren’t what the stereotype expects them to be (West, 2018).

Elizabeth is strong-minded, as she is very “set in her ways”. Because of this, Elizabeth is contrasted with Lydia who accepts Mr. Wickham’s proposal very eagerly and willingly. Elizabeth is not pleased about this marriage. She knows that Lydia, as well as her mother, are blindsided by the fact that she is married. Elizabeth adheres to her values and does not allow herself to be cheated into trusting that Mr. Wickham is decent and is marrying Lydia for love. Elizabeth’s reaction to the marriage is expressed more clearly in the film than in the novel. In the film, Elizabeth addresses Lydia’s “unimportant” conversation by saying “she does not want to hear”. Refer to Still 1 Elizabeth challenges Mr. Wickham as she does not bow back to him to honour him. When Mr. Wickham leaves the room, Elizabeth abruptly turns her head away from Mr. Wickham after moment of eye contact. This shows her disinterest in him and his marriage to Lydia. In the novel, Jane Austen includes the wedding whereas Joe Wright does not. Elizabeth states, in the novel, that “Wickham’s affection for Lydia was just what Elizabeth (she) had expected to find it; not equal to Lydia’s for him” (Austen, 1813). Elizabeth is not comfortable with the marriage. Jane Austen emphasizes this, stating “Elizabeth could bear it no longer. She got up, and ran out of the room; and returned no more, till she heard them passing through the hall to the dining-parlour…”. This shows Elizabeth’s frustration. Although Joe Wright does not include the wedding, the page to screen referencing is accurate. Joe Wright emphasizes Elizabeth challenging patriarchy, while Jane Austen only alludes to it at this specific moment in the plot.

Mr. Collins, a cousin of the Bennet family and the heir to Longbourn, seeks Elizabeth as his bride upon Lady Catherine De Bourgh’s recommendation. His reasons for marrying was: “it was the duty of a clergyman, it will make him happy and Lady Catherine De Bourgh suggested it to him” (Shmoop University, 2019). Jane Austen creates an awkward and humorous mood with the use of Mr. Collins’ mannerisms. In the novel, Elizabeth describes that “the idea of Mr. Collins… being run away with by his feelings, made Elizabeth (her) so near laughing…” (Austen, 1813). This is, therefore, suggesting that Mr. Collins is “silly” and cannot be taken seriously. Elizabeth’s comment suggests a comical ambiance.

Jane Austen describes Elizabeth as “vexed and embarrassed”, with Elizabeth mentioning that “…she sat down again, and tried to conceal by incessant employment the feelings which were divided between distress and diversion”, and Elizabeth feels the necessity to interrupt the obdurate Mr. Collins but cannot manage to (Austen, 1813). The dialogue of Mr. Collins’ proposal to Elizabeth in the film follows the novel’s accurately. Joe Wright uses the dialogue from the novel to emphasise the intention of Elizabeth as strong-minded character, but adds the abrupt movement of the chair and quick juxtaposition of shots to emphasize the situation visually. Elizabeth stands up to Mr. Collins, she speaks her mind and is not obliging. Jane Austen intends Elizabeth’s character to be determined when it comes to her beliefs and values, because as a character she is strong-minded.

Refer to Still 2 The use of the food in the mise-en-scene of the scene contributes to the intention. Just as the food and tableware are out of place in the context of the conversation, so are the characters. The flower, intended to be a symbol of love and affection, is also out of place, as Mr. Collins and Elizabeth don’t have a romantic relationship. The room is dark with no bright colours, but has some natural lighting, therefore making the tableware and food stand out. The wide, eye-level shot allows the viewer to be included in the scene.

Refer to Still 3 The over-the-shoulder shot allows the viewer to witness the situation from Elizabeth’s perspective. This allows the focus to be on Mr. Collins as he proposes. Elizabeth is “looking down” on Mr. Collins as she “stands up” to him. She does this literally by standing up from her seat to look down on him, and figuratively by standing up for herself and denying his proposal. Elizabeth is therefore seen as more superior as Mr. Collins – this is because he is positioned at a lower level than her.

The editing of the scene from the wide shot of Still 2 to Still 3 is very abrupt. The camera zooms into Elizabeth’s face after Still 2, then moving to Still 3. Elizabeth’s facial expression demonstrate determination and confidence, as she maintains a straight face and eye contact with Mr. Collins. This quick juxtaposition of shots allows the viewer to feel that Elizabeth is being rushed into marriage by Mr. Collins. The hasty, brash sound of the chair scraping against the wooden floor adds to the rushed atmosphere and splits the proposal into two sections. In the first section, Mr. Collins dialogs to mask the silence of the room, and Elizabeth cannot find any words whatsoever, because of her surprise and frustration. The chair then scrapes the floor rapidly as Elizabeth stands up, breaking the dullness of Mr. Collins’ voice, moving into the second section of the proposal where she refuses him.

Elizabeth is stubborn, and does not change her decisions easily. Elizabeth believes in marrying for love or not marrying at all, and not for the necessity. In this way, Elizabeth challenges the motives for matrimony. Mrs. Bennet emphasizes the fact that her daughter’s denial of the proposal is unacceptable, and tries to convince Mr. Bennet to order Elizabeth to accept the proposal. In this situation in the nineteenth century, women were expected to accept a proposal to ensure the well-being of their family – women were expected to respect men, and agree to all that they were told by them. But Elizabeth is stubborn and does not obey to the “rules” of the time period. Elizabeth risks the chance at having an established life and ensuring this for her sisters too. She gambles a chance at marriage, uncertain that she will get the opportunity again. By doing this, she puts her family in jeopardy, as upon the death of her father, Mr. Collins will inherit their estate.

Elizabeth is proud. She often makes judgments based on appearance and first encounters, and honours them through the bulk of the plot – hence the title Pride and Prejudice. This links to her relationship with Mr. Darcy, as well as Mr. Wickham. She only changes her initial opinion of their character later in the novel. Elizabeth also rejects the (first) marriage proposal of Mr. Darcy. She challenges patriarchy greatly here as she expresses to Darcy her reasons for not accepting his proposal. Elizabeth reprimands Darcy for separating Mr. Bingley and Jane, and because of his poor relationship with Mr. Wickham. She indirectly refuses the chance at improving her status, being the wife of a wealthy man and having a relationship of love and security. Darcy is proud but he realizes his feeling for Elizabeth and tells her honestly. Elizabeth here again disallows herself a chance at a fruitful life. Elizabeth is preoccupied with her pride and her values; therefore, she does not realise her feelings for Mr. Darcy initially.

Refer to Still 4 Jane Austen sets Mr. Darcy’s proposal inside a house, while Joe Wright sets it outside, with the wet weather surrounding the duo. The author intends for Elizabeth to be caught off guard as she is not expecting Darcy to arrive, while the director creates a dramatic and intense mood in the pouring rain as shown in figure 3. She is also caught off guard in the film. The dialogue is followed closely. Joe Wright uses the rain to emphasize the drama. The author describes Elizabeth as having increasing anger. In the film, Elizabeth has an angry tone in her voice and maintains eye contact with Darcy, which contributes to the seriousness and tenseness of the scene, and to her challenging Mr. Darcy.

Refer to Still 5 At the Meryton Ball, Elizabeth challenges patriarchy as well as her social class by confidently recommending to Mr. Darcy after he asks what she would suggest to encourage affection, ‘Dancing even if one’s partner is barely tolerable.’ She then walks away from the conversation, after doing a small bow. Here she shows her confidence and ability to confront. Jane Austen does not include this dialogue in her novel. Joe Wrights inclusion of this allows for Elizabeth’s character to be emphasized as a woman who is not afraid to defy a man, which emphasizes Jane Austen’s intention for Elizabeth’s character who is utilized to demonstrate this.

In an essay on “gender and class oppression in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice”, Chung Chin-Yi makes these remarks: “In Austen’s world, women have few opportunities to support themselves in society aside from becoming governesses or marrying into wealth and prestige. Females had little opportunity for employment, to become a governess was considered degrading, and when there are no brothers or heirs to the estate, as in the case of Elizabeth Bennett’s family, the family then has to entail its fortune, in this case to a distant cousin, Mr Collins. Women thus suffer on many counts on account of their gender, in the suffocating society of manners and class pretension that Austen depicts, marriage becomes a need for survival. Yet, Elizabeth remains an independent minded heroine who rejects Mr Collins proposal and initially Mr Darcy’s proposal as she does not believe in marrying simply for status or wealth…” (Chin-Yi, 2019).

Finding a husband was a necessity, yet Elizabeth refuses two proposals. In this way, she challenges the expectations of women. In the nineteenth century, a proposal was sought after and women were expected to respect men, rich or poor, and accept the proposal to ensure that their future was stable and secure. This was because women who did not marry were seen as a burden to their family. Patriarchy was prevalent through marriage.

In conclusion, Joe Wright portrays Elizabeth very effectively according to Jane Austen’s intention. Jane Austen uses Elizabeth as a protagonist who remains true to who she is and who does not “follow the crowd”. Elizabeth is portrayed with stubbornness, pride and a strong-minded opinion, which successfully allows her to challenge of the patriarchal setting displayed in Pride and Prejudice. Joe Wright successfully interprets Elizabeth’s character, and uses clever filmic choices to reinforce the message Jane Austen conveys by adding effective cinematography, sound, editing and mise-en-scene. Therefore, the director of the film, Joe Wright, conveys the author, Jane Austen’s, intention very effectively.

Bibliography

1. Austen, J. (1813). Pride and Prejudice. London: Penguin Books. Retrieved February 18, 2019
2. Barnes, & Noble. (2019). Pride and Prejudice Characters: Elizabeth Bennet. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from Spark Notes: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/character/elizabeth-bennet/
3. Barnes, & Noble. (2019). Pride and Prejudice Characters: Mr Bennet. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from Spark Notes: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/character/mr-bennet/
4. Chin-Yi, C. (2019). Gender and class oppression in Jane Austen’s Pride and prejudice. Retrieved from Academia.
5. Gale, T. (2006). Women In The 19th Century: Introduction. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/women-19th-century-introduction
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7. Jeane. (2005). Top 10 Favorite Elizabeth & Darcy Moments in Pride & Prejudice (2005) Movie. Retrieved 2019, from Pride & Prejudice (2005) blog: http://prideandprejudice05.blogspot.com/2015/09/top-10-favorite-elizabeth-darcy-moments.html
8. Press, O. U. (2019). Patriarchy. Retrieved February 14, 2019, from English Oxford Living Dictionaries: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/patriarchy
9. Shmoop University. (2019). Mr. Collins Character Analysis. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from Shmoop: https://www.shmoop.com/pride-and-prejudice/mr-collins.html
10. West, C. (2018, July 23). The Role of Patriarchy in Pride and Prejudice: An Analysis of Mr. Bennet. Retrieved February 14, 2019, from Medium: https://medium.com/@camwest_5657/the-role-of-patriarchy-in-pride-and-prejudice-an-analysis-of-mr-bennet-2fbe573e5810
11. Wright, J. (Director). (2005). Pride and Prejudice [Motion Picture]. Retrieved February 18, 2019