Jane Austen, in creating the character Elizabeth Bennet, has exposed her audience to a classic 'problem' that most teenagers experience in their lives. Fitting in. See, it's not that Elizabeth doesn't fit in with her friends or family, it's that she doesn't seem like she should have lived in that time period. To me, it seems as if Elizabeth should have been born in my generation. This is because of her free spirit, independence, and confidence.
In the early 1800s, women were considered a kind-of property, something to be won, kept, and controlled. Elizabeth sees life differently. She acts like she should have a choice in who she is going to marry, and what her life is going to be like. This is shown perfectly when Darcy proposes; ' "I might as well inquire," replied she, "why with so evident a design of offending and insulting me, you chose to tell me that you like me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character? Was not this some excuse for incivility, if I was uncivil?" ' (198) By saying this, Elizabeth declines Mr. Darcy's proposal, something that almost no girl from that time period would have done, as he is very well off. And by 'well off' I mean filthy rich!
Though she acts as though she would fit-in in our society, there are aspects of her personality that would probably not occur today. One example of this is when her sister Lydia elopes with Mr. Wickham. Lydia writes home to her family, and Elizabeth's reaction is: "Oh thoughtless, thoughtless Lydia! What a letter is this, to be written at such a moment! But at least it shows that she was serious on the object of her journey. Whatever he might afterwards persuade her to, it was not on her side a scheme of infamy. My poor father! how he must have felt it!" (301)In this passage, Elizabeth is talking about how much shame her sister has bestowed upon her family. In modern times, this would probably not be a huge issue in this situation, but for Elizabeth it is the most important part.
Another, obvious, example is the way she talks. It is clear that Elizabeth is not from our time when she says things like "No, no; stay where you are. You are charmingly grouped, and appear to uncommon advantage. The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth. Goodbye." (54).
These examples make me think about my original statement, that Elizabeth doesn't fit in her society. Is this still a valid point? Does Elizabeth truly fit better in our time than her own?
A nice explanation as to why ELizabeth would fit better in 2011. You have made some good personal connections here. Is this perhaps why young women still read this book? Do they still find Elizabeth a kindred spirit even though she is soooo much older?
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