Elizabeth Bennet, an at first young and vulnerable woman, is soon perceived to be the dire opposite of vulnerable, as her characteristics materialize throughout the novel. She is first revealed to be uncommonly modest regarding her personality, and later displays bravery as she is true to her personality, even when doing so may lead to criticism from the women surrounding her. Criticism may also come from her refusal to conform to the ideas of marriage, a decision validated by denying a proposal. From the beginning of Pride and Prejudice, Austen uses Elizabeth to show satire, which is done to ridicule most women of the 19th century by creating Elizabeth to be the complete opposite. This is at first difficult to identify as satire because her
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Elizabeth frequently displays bravery through doing what she wanted, rather than what was expected of her, she also does so in the way she goes about a simple conversation. While speaking with Darcy at a dance, she was not afraid to state exactly how she believed the conversation should go. There were a few moments of silence, until Elizabeth broke the silence with, "It is your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy" (Austen 90). With an emphasis on "your", it suggests that it should have been obvious that it was Darcy's turn to keep the conversation alive, although he had failed to do so. Elizabeth was waiting for him to say at least something, and rather than waiting in an awkward silence, she made a statement that would have been awkward if spoken by anyone else. This is because of her confidence and ability to hold a conversation without relying on anything else. Rather than waiting for the man to take the lead, or saying some sort of ditsy remark like most women would have, Elizabeth was straightforward when telling Darcy what he should do and why. After saying what ought to be said, she finished with, "But now we may be silent" (90). This short sentence furthers her ability to take control of a conversation, rather than relying on the man. In this dialogue, Austen describes Elizabeth to be this incredibly intelligent and independent woman, who spoke her mind without holding back. She was not afraid to hold the power in a conversation, which is a trait that nearly all 19th century women do not
Elizabeth frequently displays bravery through doing what she wanted, rather than what was expected of her, she also does so in the way she goes about a simple conversation. While speaking with Darcy at a dance, she was not afraid to state exactly how she believed the conversation should go. There were a few moments of silence, until Elizabeth broke the silence with, "It is your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy" (Austen 90). With an emphasis on "your", it suggests that it should have been obvious that it was Darcy's turn to keep the conversation alive, although he had failed to do so. Elizabeth was waiting for him to say at least something, and rather than waiting in an awkward silence, she made a statement that would have been awkward if spoken by anyone else. This is because of her confidence and ability to hold a conversation without relying on anything else. Rather than waiting for the man to take the lead, or saying some sort of ditsy remark like most women would have, Elizabeth was straightforward when telling Darcy what he should do and why. After saying what ought to be said, she finished with, "But now we may be silent" (90). This short sentence furthers her ability to take control of a conversation, rather than relying on the man. In this dialogue, Austen describes Elizabeth to be this incredibly intelligent and independent woman, who spoke her mind without holding back. She was not afraid to hold the power in a conversation, which is a trait that nearly all 19th century women do not