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Sketch the character of Elizabeth Bennet.

Draw a pen-portrait of Elizabeth Bennet.

Elizabeth Jane is the most charing character created by Jane Austen. She has following characteristics in her character –

1. A Complex Character: Elizabeth Bennet is second among the five daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. She is the heroine of the novel. Her character in the novel is not simple in the sense that different people have different opinion about her character and personality. Her character is so complex that even her parents do not have a unanimous opinion about her. Mr. Bennet holds a very high opinion about her. She is his the most favourite daughter. When she is away to Hansford Parsonage and on tour with the Gardiners, Mr Bennet feels her absence very much. Mrs. Bennet does not like her because she is not like her. She finds her most unmanageable because she does not try to understand her own daughter. Elizabeth’s character has been called complex because she cannot be comprehend easily.

2. Physical Personality: When we talk of Elizabeth’s physical, personality, we immediately remember Mrs. Bennet and Darcy who have identical view about her physical charms. Mrs. Bennet says about her “Lizzy is not a bit better than others; and I am sure that she is not half so handsome as Jane “. Similarly, Darcy remarks about her that, “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me” Whereas, we canot disbelieve the evidence of the above two statements,. It is almost established that Elizabeth is not a beauty in the romantic or the accepted sense of the term, in the sense, Jane is beautiful. Still we have the evidence of the entire novel to the contrary. We find that in any company Elizabeth becomes conspicuous. So there is some magnetism, something evasive, indefinable and yet effective and comprehensible at least to one person who could give expression to it.

3. Lively, Witty and Intelligent : Elizabeth is a girl of great spirits, wit and intelligence. Her these qualities which give her rare vivacity and render her face uncommonly intelligent and charaming The humiliation which she suffers at the hands of Darcy and which rouses her own ‘pride’ and engenders in her such a deep rooted ‘prejudice’ against Darcy that she retaliates, time and again, against Darcy whenever an opportunity presents itself. But even this humitiation does not dampen the liveliness and spirits of irrespective Elizabeth and she told the story, however, with great spirit among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition which delighted in anything ridiculous. Wallking three miles through dirt, ditches and puddles, after heavy rains, to Netherfield Park to visit her ailing elder sister is and evidence of the same liveliness of spirits that she is witlty, wise and intelligent.

4. Confidence and Self Respect : Elizabeth is different from others. She is wise, witty and intelligent and she knows it. This knowledge has given her confidence which enables her to hold her own against any one. It is this virtue which impresses Darcy and rattles and exas perates Lady Catherine. She is self respecting. She does not easily forget when anybody tires to treat her ligtly. Darcy may be rich but he has no right to humiliate any body who is less rich or poor and certainly not Elizabeth, of all persons, when Darcy contemptuously turns down Bingley’s suggestion of a dance with Elizabeth with an unbecoming remark out of pride and in Elizabeth’s hearing, she takes a mental note and does not feel easy unless she has turned down his offer of a dance with her.

5. Perceptive: Elizabeth is a talented lady. She does not make mistake about Collins, about Chrles Bingley, about Caroline Bingley, about Mrs. Hurst and about Lady Catherine. She has equally rrectly perceived her parents and the malady that plagues their relationship and the consequences of such a relationship on the children. Her assessment of Jane and other three sisters is also correct.

6. Different from her mother and sisters: Elizabeth is in a class by herself. She is different from her mother and sisters, who are immature, tactless, vain and foolish. She is different from Jane, who is so sweet, simple and trusting. She is different from Marry who is silly and pendantic and also different from Kitty and Lydia, who are frivolous, flirtatious and foolish.

7. Understanding: Elizabeth is neither romantic nor emotional. When she is happy she does not feel it but she knows it. Her love is on the intellectual plane. She discusses, analyses and realizes and not feels. Through reason and logic, through encounters and discussions, she comes closer to Darcy. Whenever, they are alone, they do not talk of love. They try to know more and more about each other. This brings them so close that they decide to accept each other.

8. Conclusion: In view of above characteristics, it is rightly = remarked “Elizabeth is the wittiest and the most brilliant of all Jane Austen’s heroines.” The close contact between Elizabeth and Darcy is the contact of minds. Elizabeth is given conciousness an awareness of herself a rational experiencing mind. She may be, like Jane Austen herself, called a satirist, a studies of character. She tells Darcy, there is no disadvantage in being stuck in a country neighbourhood since people themselves alter so much that something new to be observed in them forever.”