In the readers’ eyes, Elizabeth is a young woman who has an exceptional intelligence that is shown up not only in her tongue-in- cheek dialogues and quick responses but also in her talent for observation. Due to her clear-headedness and “quickness of observation”, she is mostly successful in drawing a picture of someone’s personalities with the exception of Darcy’s and Wickham’s cases. While Miss Bingley appears to be quite “pleasing” and “a very charming neighbor” in Jane’s eyes, with brilliant ability of observation, Elizabeth easily realizes the real nature of Miss Bingley as a “proud and conceited” woman. Indeed, the events happening later prove her sister to be right. The readers of Pride and Prejudice can continue to enjoy the keen observing capability of Elizabeth through her excellent and precise judgments on other characters in the novel such as Mr. Bingley, Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Throughout the story, although Elizabeth rarely talks to Mr. Bingley, she can characterize him as a simple and genial man whose easiness of temper makes him much more “agreeable” and pleasant than his closest friend, Darcy who possesses initially discourteous manners. Also, Mr. Collins sends the Bennets a long and banal letter to announce the purposes of his visit. Elizabeth cannot help putting a question on his character: “Can he be a sensible man, sir?” She thinks that he is a man with something of oddity and pompousness. When Mr. Collins arrives, his ridiculousness and over-mannered gestures become the vivid illustrations for Elizabeth’s previous judgments about him. Although Mr. Collins is lavish with his praise for the generosity and the noble demeanors of Lady de Bourgh, Elizabeth, however, only finds Lady Catherine to be excessively rude and difficult to get along with.
Elizabeth Bennet has a strong character Living in a strict society which is full of ties and rules, Elizabeth expresses a great strength in character in fighting against these conventions as well as looking for happiness for herself. Furthermore, Elizabeth is also a smart and self-confident woman. It means that she is not easily influenced by the others’ opinions. Nothing can make her fear or give away; in opposition, she always calmly deals with every circumstances courageously, determinedly and independently even though however difficult the situations are. Lady Catherine likes to display her wealth and superior status for all to see. However, unlike the others, Elizabeth has never been influenced by this powerful woman. She suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence! . The young girl is free in expressing her own ideas and her replies to the impertinent and rude questions of Lady Catherine are quite cold and frank. In other words, it is a signal of rebellion against the social principals that an inferior such as herself should challenge a very wealthy and important woman like Lady Catherine. Yet, it does not mean that she is wild and irresponsible for what she says but she always has reasons for it and only says when believing it true.
People, notwithstanding age, gender or social position, have their own weaknesses and Elizabeth is not an exception. However, not everyone can realize their mistakes and be ready to change. There is nothing more difficult than struggling with oneself, but Elizabeth proves that she can do it. Pride and Prejudice was first titled First Impressions, and these titles embody the theme of the novel. Both main characters, Elizabeth and Darcy, are the victims of these sense-impressions, in which it is usually thought that Elizabeth is guilty of prejudice and Darcy is guilty of pride. However, in fact, Elizabeth has to deal with pride as much as Darcy does. Elizabeth prides herself on her own rational thinking and believes that the decisions she makes are always accurate. Moreover, she is also proud of her ability to assess others rapidly and rightly and considers it as her greatest trait. Elizabeth's first impression of Darcy is not as sweet as that of Wickham. So, Elizabeth could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified hers. That she feels she is objective in judging the character of others leads her to be prejudiced and makes her refuse to reconsider what others talk about Darcy and the reasons of his actions. ; When receiving Darcy’s explanation letter, Elizabeth slowly comes to a self-realization of her injustice. Though, Elizabeth then begins to think of all the happened events as well as the prejudice that has been built up inside her for a long time. She realizes that her unjust consideration of this noble man is merely the result of her great pride. The moment she painfully cries “How despicably have I acted..! I , who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities!”, is also the moment that she gradually escapes from the cloud of prejudice and for the first time inspects Darcy clearly and recognizes his worth. In the end, she comprehends that she is too fallible and should not be too quick and confident to judge others basing on the first impressions. Although feeling quite miserable and guilty, Elizabeth but valiantly faces up to it, "Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love has been my folly pleased with the preference of one [Wickham], and offended by the neglect of the other [Darcy], on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance and driven reason away where either was concerned. Till this moment, I never knew myself.
Elizabeth is, with no suspicion, of being the most independent woman in the novel when she is not hesitant to reject the two proposals that can secure a stable and pleasant life for her after Mr. Bennet passes away. The first one comes from Mr. Collins who is rather disgusting, pompous, and ridiculous. Mr. Collins makes a proposal to Elizabeth with a long and absurd speech in which he presents the reasons why she should accept him and such an offer has hardly ever made to her again. However, Elizabeth is intelligent and self-governing enough to realize that he is far from a suitor for her so she politely refused him. Elizabeth’s rejection of wedding Mr. Collins is quite unorthodox. She can get a lot of benefits from this marriage as Mr. Collins would provide her with a comfortable house and a financial security. However, she knows that Mr. Collins is intolerable, self-centered, and close-minded so she could never love such a man. Elizabeth is a woman of extraordinary intelligence and due to this quality she can win the heart of a man who is handsome, rich and quite clever, Fitzwilliam Darcy. In the novel, the author does not depicts too much about Elizabeth’s appearance. Her outlook mostly comes from other people’s comments. There is one feature in her face being repeated and emphasized many times and having a symbolic meaning, that is her “fine eyes". Darcy does not have intention of hiding his admiration for this pair of eyes to Miss Bingley. He says that “I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.'' Eventually, he sees her true worth and quite falls in love with her, “For the liveliness of your mind, I did.” It is the quickness of mind that partly helps Elizabeth find the happiness in the marriage with Darcy.
Elizabeth attracts people by her bright intellect, quick response and ironic wit. In other words, these qualities make her stand out from other simple women like Miss Bingley, Charlotte Lucas, Lydia or Jane and become one of the most laudable female characters in literature. The heroine of “Pride and Prejudice” always sparkles with her wit, youthful high spirits and bold personality. The literature critic, Elizabeth Jenkins writes in her book “Jane Austen: A Biography” that "Elizabeth Bennet has perhaps received more admiration than any other heroine in English literature."
