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Pride and Prejudice is arguably the most successful of Jane Austen’s works. After trying out different forms of writing for years, Austen identified her style through Pride and Prejudice (Worsley 100). This novel centers its story around two people in a turbulent relationship that requires them to overcome their immense pride and prejudice to accept their love for each other and marry. The two characters, Elizabeth and Darcy, were different in the background but very similar in characteristics (Awan 676). Austen is considered by some experts one of the first feminist writers in history, which allows one to explore her characters from such a perspective. Elizabeth Bennet is the character whom Austen uses to highlight the importance of treating women as equal members of society and demonstrates that females must be recognized and respected.
Elizabeth Bennet
Elizabeth is the second born in the Bennet family and has four sisters and no brothers. In the family, she has a reputation as the most intelligent girl, despite the fact that she did not receive a formal education (Austen 168). Austen presents Elizabeth as a person who possesses intellectual curiosity and considerable intelligence to challenge a stereotype about women not being interested in studying common during the period of the writing. Additionally, with a character such as Elizabeth, Austen demonstrates that women must not adhere to the norms established in society which require them to act in a way limiting their abilities and interests. The intelligence of Elizabeth provides her with the sense of independence and desire to avoid simply serving men, the role which was standard for women of the age.
Elizabeth’s independence and self-esteem are visible in several interactions of her with Mr. Darcy. For instance, at some point, Mr. Darcy asks her to dance with him, but she refuses to do so, saying, “I do not want to dance a reel at all” (Austen 79). Such behavior was against the social norms of the period because women were expected to be modest and agree to all proposals of men, especially those who were wealthy and noble. Nevertheless, Elizabeth is not afraid of challenging the status quo and follows her needs and desires instead of adopting socially-acceptable conduct (Chandio et al., 301). The independence and self-respect exhibited by Elizabeth enable one to consider her a feminist character since she recognizes that women have their rights.
Another instance of Elizabeth challenging the established social order and patriarchal view of the world is her refusal to agree with Mr. Darcy on his views about women. Mr. Darcy insists that in order to become accomplished, women need to be well-read, as well as excellent in many other fields, from drawing to music (Austen 70). Elizabeth criticizes Mr. Darcy’s perspective saying that he has excessively high standards, which shows her disregard towards patriarchal conceptions about ideal women.
Finally, one of the main examples of Elizabeth’s feminist nature in the book is her refusal to marry Mr. Darcy during his first proposal. Elizabeth comes from a relatively poor family, and she needs to find a husband who will provide for her. Mr. Darcy is a nobleman who also has considerable wealth. Nevertheless, Elizabeth refuses to accept his proposal because Mr. Darcy previously allowed himself to speak negatively about Elizabeth’s family. Moreover, Elizabeth does not wish to marry a man simply due to his wealth and status. Once again, Elizabeth proves her commitment to feminist ideas since she values her freedom and independence the most in life.
Caroline Bingley
Caroline Bingley is another woman in Austen’s book who, nevertheless, constitutes the complete opposite of Elizabeth. Essentially, Caroline plays a role of a traditional woman who abides by all of the social rules and norms established for women. Caroline wants to marry Mr. Darcy exactly because of his wealth and status and, therefore, tries to appease him in every way. For instance, Caroline, despite being formally educated, does not like reading, yet when Mr. Darcy mentions his idea that women must be well-read, Caroline instantly tells him how she enjoys reading (Austen 82). Thus, the reader understands, by analyzing the actions of Caroline, that she conducts herself in a subservient manner and ignores her true needs and interests.
Caroline is not a feminist, and her behavior lets readers see the difference between independent women such as Elizabeth and those who prefer to be socially accepted. Caroline cannot afford the privilege of speaking her mind, while Elizabeth does it naturally without any regret. Elizabeth and Caroline have different priorities in their lives, while Elizabeth prefers to be independent and respected, Caroline simply desires to marry an affluent member of society and gain financial security.
Mr. Darcy
Mr. Darcy is an example of a male character who represents a patriarchal figure to whom females in the story react in different ways. Mr. Darcy comes from a wealthy family, and he is the master of the most considerable Pemberley estate, and his family is an affluent and well-established one. Mr. Darcy is Elizabeth’s ideal match since he is educated, intelligent and forthright. However, just like Elizabeth, he also tends to pass judgment too harshly. His wealthy background and birthright made him a proud man who was arrogant and self-aware of his social status. The first proposal scene demonstrates Mr. Darcy’s sense of self-importance and reflects his patriarchal worldview (Puspita and Pratama 68). Mr. Darcy lets himself openly disrespect Elizabeth’s family because he believes that she will still not be able to respond to it because marrying such a nobleman is what she dreams about. Yet, as mentioned above, Elizbeth’s independence and feminism prevent her from tolerating the negative words of Mr. Darcy about her family.
At the same time, Mr. Darcy is a character who is able to evolve over the span of the story, and eventually, he recognizes his mistakes. Mr. Darcy realizes that in order to be with Elizabeth, he will need to respect her and value her independence. By transforming Mr. Darcy into a man who is able to treat a woman as his equal, Austen shows that feminism can change society for the better. The purpose of Elizabeth and Darcy, as used by the author, was to bring the theme of family influence, social status, love, and society’s reputation at large.
Conclusion
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen highlights the topic of feminism and shows how women, by embracing independence, can make men respect them and their interests. Elizbeth is the main character of the story, and she constitutes the main feminist in the book. Elizabeth prioritizes her independence and self-respect over the prospect of marrying an affluent husband with high social status. Caroline is a character who is the opposite of Elizabeth, a woman who neglects her self-respect in a desire to find an affluent husband. Austen shows that women must not be afraid to embrace feminist ideas of self-reliance and rights.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. 2nd ed., Broadview Press, 2020.
Chandio, Rashid, et al. “Pride and Prejudice & A Doll’s House: A Comparative Feminist Discourse.” Language in India, vol. 19, no. 8, 2019, pp. 293–304.
Puspita, Meice, and Putra Pratama. “The Value of Feminism in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Implications for Language Teaching.” English Empower: Journal of Linguistics and Literature, vol. 4, no. 2, 2019, pp. 65–74.
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