What is friendship? More importantly, what is female friendship? Jane Austen answers these questions in her book Pride and Prejudice , through the friendships of the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet. Throughout the book, Austen takes us through two main friendships within Elizabeth's life. One that is shared with her sister Jane and the other with her neighbor Charlotte. These relationships offer different insights into what it takes to be in a female friendship. With Jane, the bond shared is much more supportive and valued, while with Charlotte, their relationship is noticeably less prominent and more of a competition.
Elizabeth and Jane’s friendship can be argued as the most important friendship within the book. The two girls are each other's …show more content…
The convenience of having a friend live close by is what kept their bond strong. However, once Charlotte marries Mr. Collins and Elizabeth's opinion of her changes, we see that their friendship may not have been as strong as we thought. In chapter twenty-six, Austen writes “it was the sake of what had been, rather than what was.” (Ch 26). Here Elizabeth feels obligated to continue being Charlotte's friend, because they had been for such a long time. Their friendship is similar to how girls become friends in today’s society. In high school, girls become friends out of convenience for they are in the same classes, year after year. After graduation however, these once incredibly close friends become distant until they meet again in a store or at an event. Feeling obligated to talk and be friendly, due to the years in which they had shared a …show more content…
That when it comes to having a strong bond between girls, there needs to be support and complete transparency. We see this in the relationship between Elizabeth and Jane, when they support one another in their engagements and in their inability to keep secrets hidden. With Charlotte and Elizabeth however, we see the two withholding information from each other and supporting only out of obligation. Jane and Elizabeth's friendship is a depiction of a healthy and strong female relationship, while that between Elizabeth and Charlotte is weak and easily
Elizabeth and Jane’s friendship can be argued as the most important friendship within the book. The two girls are each other's …show more content…
The convenience of having a friend live close by is what kept their bond strong. However, once Charlotte marries Mr. Collins and Elizabeth's opinion of her changes, we see that their friendship may not have been as strong as we thought. In chapter twenty-six, Austen writes “it was the sake of what had been, rather than what was.” (Ch 26). Here Elizabeth feels obligated to continue being Charlotte's friend, because they had been for such a long time. Their friendship is similar to how girls become friends in today’s society. In high school, girls become friends out of convenience for they are in the same classes, year after year. After graduation however, these once incredibly close friends become distant until they meet again in a store or at an event. Feeling obligated to talk and be friendly, due to the years in which they had shared a …show more content…
That when it comes to having a strong bond between girls, there needs to be support and complete transparency. We see this in the relationship between Elizabeth and Jane, when they support one another in their engagements and in their inability to keep secrets hidden. With Charlotte and Elizabeth however, we see the two withholding information from each other and supporting only out of obligation. Jane and Elizabeth's friendship is a depiction of a healthy and strong female relationship, while that between Elizabeth and Charlotte is weak and easily