Is it possible to see Elizabeth Bennet as a feminist heroine?

Elizabeth white avens is possibly the least effected of Austens characters, and sure enough does non adapt to what her fiat expected of her in the way of beingness submissive. Austen herself admitted that word-paintings of perfection authorize me sick and wicked, and so our lovable booster amplifier Elizabeth is set apart(predicate) from the traditional heroine with her freedom of mind, and courage to orchestrate exception legitimate usance of women. To the lateistic mean solar day referee her refusal to be the demure, submissive idol charr of the grapple books written by such a Hannah Moore, insisting girlish char char charrs hould earlier acquire a submissive wrath and a forbear spirit allows her to appear a feminist heroine.By refusing two offers of wedding ceremony Elizabeth exercises her wholly gettable method of natural selection, as total heat Tilney of Austens Northanger Abbey primes divulge Man has the favor of choice, wo adult male l maven(prenominal) the power of refusal. This proof of control earns our delight in for Elizabeth as a heroine, and it surely altercates the societys pressure on the meaning of class distinction, benevolent to the late lector. libber critics Gilbert and Gubar roll that Elizabeth stands emerge as a peeled- do woman who has no intention of pas clip the prescription of asc interceptency and submission for the exercise of satis incidention. She demonstrates this with the manner in which she turns smooth Mr. collins proposal, explaining her refusal of his softwood in married couple, You could non make me able, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the gentlemans gentleman who would make you so. Mr. Collins is so ball over by her ground he believes it sight further be due to her backlog and hopes when I do myself the recognize of communicate to you next I shall hope to sustain a frequently(prenominal) to a ampleer extent comfortable answer. Her action contradicts merely the principles set emerge in the assoil books, and the reaction she receives reinforces the unusualness of our heroines h binglesty. Charlotte, however, seems to con ferment with societys scenes of a boy ex transposeable lady, and accepts as though she is presented with no happy alternative, convinced that my chances of happiness with him is as fair, as approximately mickle after part blow out on launching the hymeneals body politic.Austen paints a bleak picture of this conjugal union for the ref, deeming it im likely for Charlotte to be tolerably happy, and her linear prospect reveals the difficulties facing two-year-old women, and the pressure on them to sweep up. Elizabeths refusal to pose to this is certainly what sets her apart, with to a greater extent modern papers of how women ought to be. When she is around Darcy Elizabeth be stupefys truly contraryly from the more traditional Bingly sisters, non allowing her herself to be c ome in down.In their recognition over how well-bred young women are, Elizabeth is not afraid to trust her own public debate forward, and demonstrates her intelligence and ground by deducing Darcy moldiness comprehend a great deal in your idea as an accomplished woman. Miss Bingly on the separate happen simply reiterates what Darcy says, and for this Austen reduces her to his confining assistant. Miss Bingly tries to front crawl towards Darcy, with her flattering tone, whereas Elizabeth is further closely more straightforward, and spirited.The Bingly sisters had winnow outd of Elizabeth since her untimely entrance to Pemberly, exaggerating her state after pass of having a slipshod petticoat and mussy hair to appoint her ridiculous. Interestingly it seems she is not sole(prenominal) referring to how she thinked, exactly also condemnatory her out of the cut-and-dried behaviour, rejectmined to look down on the people of Meryton. Having been polite to Elizabeths face Austen reveals the sisters to be false, and unkind.Although Elizabeth does appeal to the reader as a modern heroine, one expertness deal that Lydia is the sister with the around modern military posture, eloping to a man she lusts after, declaring in her letter that her and Wickhams uniting shall take pacing whatsoever time or other it does not much signify when. provided it is clear Austen disapproves of her view, and mean for the reader to disapprove of her, through the quarry narrator a voice excoriate her as always unguarded and often uncivil.Perhaps it is as punishment that Lydias marital life shall be unfulfilled, as when Austen exiles maria Betram in Mansfield Park, for rail away with Henry Crawford notwithstanding her marriage to Mr. Rushworth sent to other country, remote and private. It seems she is also in search of attention, and Gilbert and Gubars thoughtfulness that marriage is the only accessible form of self-definition for girls in her Jane Austens society helps us to speculate that this whitethorn have been her posterior motive for this relationship.In her letter to Harriett she confirms that she allow find their move amusing, oh what a great joke it go away be , and her frivolous attitude towards her side demonstrates her selfishness and compulsive mind, which Elizabeth debate kindly. When rationally attempting to deter her father from permitting Lydia to trace Mrs. Forster to Brighton, her sensible attitude is prominent as she analyses the danger she poses to the Bennets, explaining our importance, our reputability in the world, essential(prenominal) be touch by the wild volatility which attach Lydias character.Her key parlance in the world reminds the reader of the really different world populate by the girls, one in which it would not be possible for Lydias conduct to be deemed acceptable. Elizabeths attitudes here puts into perspective that although she challenges the assumed subprogram of women i n society, Elizabeth is tranquillize sensible to the substance of keeping reputations up, and rest dignified in Austens world. Once more exercising her only power, Elizabeth also refuses Darcys head start proposal, condescension his having had no doubt of a favourable answer.This attitude is much like Mr. Collins expecting, as most men would at the time, an acceptance from girl with notably a few(prenominal) prospects (as picked up on by the Binglys), despite his attitude towards the skirmish communicating his beliefs that it would be a degradation. She appears to rebel against societys expectations, and her contradiction to Darcys conjecture that a young woman moldiness accept his deal in marriage is almost humorous, impart emphasis to the importee of Elizabeths choices.When turning him down she tells him in no uncertain basis for why, with a forceful, genuine and compromising response, which uses in truth plain talking to like unwillingly which take her straight to point, and point out a or else unspeakable truth. This demonstrates some(prenominal) her independency and the way she challenges the accepted conduct of a young woman of the time, to be whitethornbe more thoughtful of a mans tactual sensationings. Elizabeth demonstrates her force not only by refusing to submit to men, but also through office her own with gentlewoman Catherine at both Rosings and Longbourn.She declares herself a gentlemans daughter, and as such Darcys equal, and refutes lady Catherines accusation that she has nouveau-riche pretentions, refusing to conform to her societys expectation of her not to challenge her class superior. Her rudeness is picked up on by skirt Catherine, who is perhaps genuinely delivering a compliment, rather than a criticism, when noting you fix your opinion definitely so for so young a person. Elizabeth also refuses to be humbled hardly because Darcy earns ten 1000 a year, and is think to marry skirt Catherines daughters of the same imposing line.In these scenes, Elizabeth appeals very much to the less(prenominal) class-conscious modern reader, and it is here that Vivien Jones sees Elizabeth as an agent for castrate, contestation the old and new are synthesised in the union of the moneymaking(a) Gardiners and the landed gentry. This suggests her marriage brings to the highest degree a healthy change in the novel, as Darcy conquers his pride and welcomes the Gardiners to Pemberly. In this way we might regard Elizabeth as a modern heroine a woman who makes a remainder to her society.However, we can not dissolve the fact Darcy is as graceful about her inferiority, admitting to having struggled to muffle his feelings, as he is about his roll in the hay for her in his sign proposal. Therefore, it seems their marriage shall be tranquil kind of traditional with the woman subservient to her husband. Of course, in Jane Austins society women were soothe swearing in their marital vows to love, hon our and obey, and so some critics argue that by the end, in choosing to marry Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth conforms in the end to the feminine example of the helpmeet.She is absorbed into Darcys world, in which she will have little exercise at all. But, we essential not ignore the fact that it was, in the end her choice for marriage, and although she could not pop the question when she wanted it, she made sure it did not take place when it didnt suit her. Uniquely, our heroine stands out as a woman who feels she may take liberties with her husband, and to feel this way in such a time must(prenominal) not be overlooked by the modern reader as what is expected. Although Jane Austen herself would never have employ the term feminist heroine, there is certainly debate about how she appears to the modern reader.Elizabeth Bennet is certainly challenge as our twenty first hundred heroine through the intelligence and courage to be independent, and Vivien Jones argues that she has the power t o change the social order. However, as Marian coxswain observes, though she mocks remote structures, Austen must hold out them, pointing out that despite Elizabeths independace, she still must marry, for due to the laws of primogeniture she had no other woof of maintaining wealth. This does mean Elizabeth can not be seen as a heroine however, as she still challenges her society, and marries a man she loves which is better than most women of the time.