Elizabeth Bennet Vs Patriarchy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Predudice

Elizabeth Bennet is the second daughter in the Bennet family, and in both the novel and film of Pride and Prejudice, she is portrayed as the most intelligent and witty Bennet daughter. It is undeniable that Elizabeth Bennet is one of the most heroic and well-known female characters in English literature. Pride and Prejudice is set in Regency England, a time when women were expected to listen and agree with what men said. It was a time when contact with the opposite sex was to be minimal, and so on. However, Elizabeth Bennet challenged this patriarchal setting. She would not let any man intimidate her and is known for confronting anyone on any rude behavior. Lizzy knows how to challenge people through her wit and smart retorts instead of getting angry and petty as women of the Regency era might have. She refuses to submit to the low presumptions of her, set by those around her. She would prefer to be single and face an insecure financial future than to be stuck in a loveless marriage. She acknowledges her faults and tries to right them rather than deny them.

Elizabeth Bennet vs. Patriarchy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

It is clear that Elizabeth Bennet would not let any man intimidate her, ensuring that she confronts any man for his bad behavior. In the book Pride and Prejudice, when Mr. Darcy rushes into the room where Elizabeth sat and immediately began asking about her health, she answered Darcy with cold tact. Darcy follows her surprising response by divulging his (what he thinks is romantic and touching, but in a Mr. Darcy way) love to Lizzy. “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” Lizzy eventually speaks and proclaims she cannot accept, as she felt nothing for “such a man,” and she then points out that she and Darcy seldom, if ever, could speak well to each other. This is something not many other women would even think of doing. Lizzy did think before she said what she said and realized he would be upset, and she felt bad, but she needed to confront “the elephant in the room.” In the film, however, this scene is conveyed very differently. It is done very effectively; instead of Darcy’s sudden entrance into the room, Darcy and Lizzy are seen out in the rain, under a gazebo. Both characters are soaked. The rain is a clear symbol of the instability of what is about to unfold, as well as the natural, dull lighting being an icon of sorrow. Lizzy’s facial expressions also become very effective and show the emotions she truly feels. This adds a layer of depth to her character, showcasing her internal struggle between societal expectations and personal desires.

As Lizzy does in the novel, addressing the faults within her relationship with Darcy, she does so in the film as well. She says what needs to be said with extreme expression on her face, adding emphasis to how she feels. This is definitely not the way women would typically convey their disagreement with a man. Elizabeth is very good at keeping a clear head when faced with a challenging conversation. This is seen best in the novel when Lady Catherine De Bourgh comes and requests to speak with Lizzy outside, where she suggests there is a rumor of Lizzy and Darcy getting engaged. Lizzy manages to keep a calm mind in response. She states, in short, that she and Darcy have nothing going on, and even if they did, she asks why she could not accept. She then adds that even if she promises not to accept Darcy’s hand, it wouldn’t make Darcy and Miss De Bourgh any more probable. They are not in love, and love should be a choice, not forced from birth. In the film, this same situation is portrayed in a slightly different way. Lady Catherine forces it upon Lizzy to play the piano for her. Even though Lizzy refuses, Lady Catherine will not accept no for an answer. Elizabeth gives the instrument her best efforts but cannot play as well as Darcy’s younger sister. Lady Catherine uses Lizzy’s “poor” piano skills to try to make Elizabeth look inferior to herself and the Darcy family. But Lizzy does not let the incident get to her and carries on with living up to her personal values.

The most prominent way in which Lizzy challenges the patriarchy in both the novel and the film is when she refuses the proposal she receives from Mr. Collins, who will inherit her father’s estate when he passes away. Mr. Collins expects Lizzy to be overjoyed by his proposal, as Elizabeth would get to stay home and have a decent life ahead. But instead, she wittily declines/rejects the proposal. The only minor difference between the novel and the film in this scene is how Collins is described. In the novel, he is portrayed as apparently opposite to in the film. In the film, he is a petite, pathetic little man with almost zero confidence. In many ways, this could be a reason for it to be so simple for Lizzy to reject his proposal with her wittiness and sarcastic remarks. This act of defiance further underscores her determination to marry for love rather than convenience, a revolutionary stance for a woman of her era.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Elizabeth Bennet successfully challenges the patriarchy both in the film and novel of Pride and Prejudice. She remains steadfast in her beliefs, even if they may have negative effects on her life or that of her family’s. In the end, she is fortunate to come out successful and learns that some of what she thinks and says should not be. She will always stick to her values even if they go against the norms of patriarchy.

References

1. Austen, J. (1813). Pride and Prejudice. T. Egerton, Whitehall.
2. Wright, J. (Director). (2005). Pride & Prejudice [Film]. Universal Pictures.
3. Johnson, C. L. (2013). Jane Austen: Women, Politics, and the Novel. University of Chicago Press.
4. Butler, M. (1990). Jane Austen and the War of Ideas. Clarendon Press.
5. Jones, V. (2017). Women in Jane Austen's World. HarperCollins Publishers.