Elizabeth Bennet As An Empowering Female
Elizabeth Bennet As An Empowering Female
Elizabeth Bennet As An Empowering Female
Female Character
A famous writer Mark Twain once said that whenever he read Jane Austen’s Pride
and Prejudice, he wanted to “dig her (Austen) up and beat her over the skull with her own
shin bone.” (McRobbie, 2013) It appears that Mark Twain was not the sole person who had
strong dislike for this book as Emily Bronte, Virginia Woolf, and even Ralph Waldo Emerson
also expressed their dissatisfaction with Pride and Prejudice. Hundreds of years have passed
since Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was first published, yet the prevailing attitude among
people towards it still differs; some people share the same feeling with Twain and Bronte,
while the other thinks the opposite. A false perception that claims that there is no meaningful
message conveyed in this book but whirlwind romance between men and women is one
underlying reason why some people are not a fan of it. It is ‘a universally acknowledged’
misconception that Pride and Prejudice is simply a superficial novel that is not worth
desperation in entrapping men to be their husband. Although the popular belief states that
Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is simply about women’s quest in finding a perfect husband,
the author actually tries to show female empowerment during the early of 19 th century
The word ‘empowerment’ itself is a broad concept that can be applied to several contexts.
According to Collin English Dictionary, the word ‘empowerment’ has a meaning of someone
or a group that has ‘a power and status in particular situation’ (Empowerment). In analyzing
factors in being empowered; you are the only important consideration in making a decision
for yourself. Hence, from the description mentioned before, female empowerment can be
interpreted as a condition in which females have power and control in doing something.
Those who are both acknowledged by the society and capable of determining their own life
What does make female empowerment considered as an important issue? In the world
where males seem to dominate the society, gender equality is something that has been fought
for by a number of females, or even some males, around the world. The society, either
consciously or unconsciously, adopts a doctrine which claims that males are superior
all women and builds invisible borderline that separates them from men in society. Achieving
female empowerment, thus, can be done by creating a situation in which males and females
are equal in every aspects of their life; one’s gender is irrelevant in defining oneself. As time
goes by, the concept of female empowerment has been gradually accepted by the society; the
discrimination against women has been decreasing significantly. However, in the past, the
whole concepts of gender equality and female empowerment were seen as bizarre and alien to
the society, and this was what made it extra challenging for Jane Austen to create an
It should be taken into account how the social circumstances in the early of 19 th
century, in which Pride and Prejudice takes place, were significantly different with the
circumstances nowadays. Back then, there was a rigid set of unwritten rules regarding gender
roles in the society. According to Allison Stone in her book named an Introduction to
Feminist Philosophy, besides being delivered by other people, certain gender roles are also
enforced in a society by embodying them in social organizations and culture (Stone, 2007). It
appears that the society believed in essentialism 1; hence, a person, to be identified in a certain
group of gender, must possess the traits that all of the members of that particular group also
have. People, especially females, were expected to follow a constricting, predetermined set of
arbitrary rules which was manifested in the established institution; school, church, and family
considered as a disgrace for women to be seen in public places and not to stay at home, while
it was normal for men to roam the street or to be spotted in public spaces (Sailus). Another
instance of social injustice to women in the early of 19 th century is how women, except for
those who were the member of aristocracy, had a noticeably smaller opportunity to have a
formal education compared to men, and those who wanted to educate themselves were
frowned upon by the society as well. Finally, the characteristic that is often attributed to the
early 19th century is how women must marry a respectable man in order to gain other people’s
recognition. Instead of their personal accomplishments, marriage and men became the
parameters that determined women’s success; the criteria of a successful woman were
determined by the type of man that she married. To sum things up, freedom of choice and
personal liberty were luxuries that women could rarely afford in the early of 19th century.
not the ‘objective structures’ that they have, but it is because of the way the society portrays
women’s identity and manifests it in every part of our life (Hekman, 2006). This shows how
women; the society determines the ‘appropriate’ traits and roles for women, makes unwritten
rules about them that shall be followed, and spreads them to the very corner of social sphere.
It is mentioned in Pride and Prejudice how women back then were obliged to master the art
1
A view which believes that all members of a particular group share a common trait (Stone, 2007).
of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and languages to be accepted by the society as a high-
class woman (Austen, 1813). Because of the predetermined set of rules that controlled
women’s behavior, the society back then had certain expectations for them, and they were
highly encouraged to live up to those expectations. A system of reward and punishment was
often used in exchange for a guarantee that males and females adopted the appropriate social
roles based on their gender (Stone, 2007). In order to meet the demand of the society, women
often altered their behavior in certain ways, and these alterations created a uniformity which
made almost every woman acted in similar way. Most people believe that all of Pride and
Prejudice’s women characters have the characteristics that reflect the archetypal
characteristics of women back then. There are several tangible proofs, however, that show the
Some people argue that there are no significant differences between Elizabeth Bennet
and the other female characters, which are often described like hopeless damsels in distress.
Take a blogger named Feifei Wang, for instance, who shows her immense dislike against the
characters of Pride and Prejudice, including Elizabeth Bennet, and states that Pride and
Prejudice is “a boring book filled with hateful female stereotypes yet was treated as some
kind of pioneer of feminism” (Wang, 2013). To some extent, it is true that Pride and
Prejudice revolves around the typical life of women during the early of 19th century, and most
of the female characters are portrayed based on the gender stereotypes which existed back
then. However, Elizabeth Bennet, unlike the other female characters in Pride and Prejudice,
is portrayed with striking characteristics that are contradictory with the society’s expectations
of women; she puts up a resistance against females stereotypes through her brave actions
contrasting with her mother’s bold and aggressive demeanor. As marriage and men were the
most crucial factors in women’s life, women were willing to do extreme measures to get a
well-respected man as their husband. Mrs. Bennet, who has five unmarried daughters, is one
of those women whose desperation often overpowers their common sense. Compared to her
mother, Elizabeth Bennet is much more demure in nature when it comes to men. Upon
meeting Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley for the first time, unlike Mrs. Bennet who hastily
introduces all of her daughters to both men in hopes that one of them catches one of the
men’s eyes, Elizabeth is not obsessed with the possibility of marrying one of them. Although
she knows that Mr. Darcy’s wealth is untold, she still chooses not to interact with Mr. Darcy
upon feeling uncomfortable with his aloof and cold demeanor. She is also capable of keeping
her temper even after Mr. Darcy’s arrogance insults her and her family repeatedly. Different
from her mother whose fiery state of mind tends to flare even at the slightest provocation,
Elizabeth chooses to stay composed and express her anger through clever yet sardonic
comments. To illustrate, when she accidentally hears Mr. Darcy regards her as barely
tolerable, Elizabeth does not straightforwardly confront him and express her displeasure.
However, when Mr. Darcy asks her about the activity that she usually does in encouraging
someone’s affection, Elizabeth’s reply is dancing ‘even if one’s partner is barely tolerable’
(Wright, 2005). Mr. Darcy, who does not know that Elizabeth has overheard his conversation
with his friend, was astonished when she repeats the exact phrase that he uses to describe
The next unconventional trait of Elizabeth Bennet is her independence, which was
rarely possessed by any women during that era. To illustrate, the fact that Charlotte Lucas,
Elizabeth Bennet’s best friend, chooses to marry a stranger over staying unmarried shows
how dependent women could be on men during that time. Elizabeth, on the other hand,
refuses not only one, but two marriage proposals despite her mother’s coercion to do the
opposite. Elizabeth is brave enough to break the norm in order to stick to her life principles;
her independence prevents her from marrying someone she does not love even if that act can
lead her to be a spinster and a disgrace to society. Her independence also gives her a sense of
self-reliance, a trait that other female characters do not possess. Anne de Bourgh, for
instance, is a passive woman who lets her dominant mother controls her life. In contrast,
Elizabeth will not let anyone dictate her in living her life, including her persistent mother.
Even when her mother threatens to disown her if she does not do things according to her
mother’s wishes, Elizabeth still follows her own heart’s desire. She refuses to be anyone’s
puppet, whether it is the society or her mother, and lives her life just like her heart’s desire.
One famous quote that reflects her independence is “there is a stubbornness about me
(Elizabeth) that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises
Next, compared to her sisters’ triviality, Elizabeth’s witty charm and intelligence are
other characteristics that distinguish her from other typical women characters. Her father, as a
matter of fact, describes her to have ‘something more quickness than her sisters’, who are
‘silly and ignorant like any other girls’ (Chapter 1, pp. 4). Her habit, for instance, indicates
how different she is with most of women in that era. Unlike her sisters whose main concern is
appearance. Elizabeth’s fondness of reading is the opposite of her sisters’ keenness of gowns
and ribbons. She also does not break herself of her habit of taking a solitary walk although it
often gives her a disheveled appearance, showing that she is not afraid to look unattractive.
underlying message that the intelligence that this character has is much more important than
her look (Gorman, 2004). However, Elizabeth still has some humor and cleverness on her
that prevents her from becoming dull and uninteresting like Mary, another sister of hers.
Elizabeth is somehow capable of balancing her manner and her wit, making her traits
admirable. Unlike her sisters Lydia and Kitty, who are too impudent and audacious in
interacting with other people, Elizabeth is capable of conducting herself properly in varying
situation.
The fact that she eventually marries a rich young man in the end of the book is also
another reason why some people state that Elizabeth Bennet is no different with any other
archetypal women who has nothing but marriage and financial security in their mind. Indeed,
she marries a young rich man, but unlike other women, she takes careful and detailed
considerations before she agrees to marry him. The first time Mr. Darcy confesses his
feelings to her, her pride that has been wounded by Mr. Darcy’s arrogance makes Elizabeth
reject him vehemently, showing that her dignity is much more important than the prospect of
marrying a rich man. The fact that she does not accept Mr. Darcy’s feelings until she is
completely sure that he is a good man also indicates that Elizabeth regards someone’s
personality more than their wealth. Another instance which shows Elizabeth’s high regard on
people’s personality is how she refuses to have any kind of interaction with Mr. Wickham
once she knows his true nature, unlike her sister Lydia who agrees to marry Mr. Wickham
even after she knows his materialistic tendency. Finally, if being financially secured is what
Elizabeth really wants, she would not reject the wedding proposal of Mr. Collins, whose
wealth will guarantee an easy life for her. For Elizabeth, the idea of marrying someone whom
she does not love is more terrifying compared to live in poverty. Elizabeth claims that only
the ‘deepest love’ that can coax her into marriage (Wright, 2005). All of these three actions
that Elizabeth takes are the opposite of what a typical woman will do; rejecting wealthy
men’s wedding proposal and prioritizing dignity over financial security are highly unlikely to
other women. In an article published on the Guardian, Zoe Williams states that Elizabeth
appears to be incapable in befriending any women characters except for those who have timid
and demure nature such as Jane, her oldest sister, and Georgina Darcy. Elizabeth often
criticizes other female characters; her mother, her younger sisters, and even Caroline Bingley
regularly become the targets of her criticism (Williams, 2013). This entails one big question:
what kind of empowering female character that cannot even stand her own kind? I personally
believe that such an opinion is hastily formed without seeing the underlying motives that
Elizabeth has behind criticizing other female characters. As a female, Elizabeth wants to
prove that women must not conform to the gender roles established in the society. Her mother
and her younger sisters are the epitome of typical women back then, and her criticisms are
some kind of forms that show her protest against their unaccepted behavior. The character
Caroling Bingley, who is also targeted in Elizabeth’s critics, proves that even women from
the high class can too become a stereotypical woman. Her pinning over Mr. Darcy and her
obvious desperate attempts to catch his attention do not get away from Elizabeth’s silent
observation, and this becomes the reason why Elizabeth often criticizes her. The fact that
Elizabeth only has few female friends do not necessarily mean that she has strong dislike for
women in general, but it means that she refuses to surround herself with typical women.
exceptional young woman who is brave enough to break the norms. The concepts of nature
and nurture might explain this particular phenomenon. Originally introduced by Francis
Galton, nature and nurture are two concepts which explain about the possible reason of one’s
personality traits; those who believe in nature claim that every person has a blueprint which
predetermines their characteristics since their birth, while those who believe in nurture state
that people’s personality is gradually shaped by the environment surrounding them (McLeod,
2007). Using these two concepts in analyzing the characters of Pride and Prejudice, it
appears that most of the female characters’ personalities are socially constructed; they are
nurtured by the environment to be the way they are. For most of the female characters, the
gender stereotypes mold their characteristics until they meet the social expectations. All of
the Bennets, with the exception of Elizabeth, are the products of the environment. Their traits,
beliefs, and mannerism are the output of the norms established in the society. Elizabeth
Bennet, on the other hand, is a reflection of the nature concept. Despite her surrounding and
her environment, Elizabeth still manages to develop her own personality without being
bounded by the stereotypes. The fact that she does not see the importance of meeting the
Through the novel Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen criticized how unfavorable the
situation was for women in her era. She challenged the gender stereotypes by creating the
character Elizabeth Bennet and all of her distinguishing characteristics. Even after more than
a hundred years when Pride and Prejudice was first published, the character Elizabeth
Bennet is still popular among people, especially women, these days. One factor that makes
her so popular among us is because of how we often see ourselves reflected in the character
Elizabeth Bennet. In the time where every woman was proposed to serve a social purpose to
be someone’s wife, Elizabeth Bennet proves that women’s life should not be valued based on
their husband or marital status. Her life decisions and unconventional traits contradict the
prevailing belief which disputes that Elizabeth Bennet resembles a stereotypical woman in
search of a husband. Claimed to be Austen’s most beloved female character, Elizabeth shows
that women can be feminine yet still empowered at the same time.
Works Cited
Austen, J. (1813). Pride and Prejudice. London: Egerton.
Empowerment. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2015, from Collin English Dictionary:
http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/empowerment
McLeod, S. (2007). Nature vs Nurture in Psychology. Retrieved May 17, 2015, from Simply
Psychology: http://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html
McRobbie, L. R. (2013, January 3). 7 People Who Hated Pride and Prejudice. Retrieved
April 2015, from Mentalfloss: http://mentalfloss.com/article/32099/7-people-who-
hated-pride-and-prejudice
Sailus, C. (n.d.). Feminism in the 19th Century: Women's Rights, Roles, and Limits. Retrieved
April 9, 2015, from www.study.com: http://study.com/academy/lesson/feminism-in-
the-19th-century-womens-rights-roles-and-limits.html
Wang, F. (2013, December 1). Why Do I Hate Pride and Prejudice. Retrieved April 15, 2015,
from http://feifeiandgames.quora.com/Why-do-I-hate-Pride-and-Prejudice
Williams, Z. (2013, January 28). Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice at 200: Looking Afresh
at a Classic. Retrieved June 02, 2015, from The Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jan/26/pride-prejudice-200th-anniversary