Biography for
Elizabeth Bennet (Character)
from Pride and Prejudice (1940)

Elizabeth (Lizzy, Eliza) Bennet is the core character of this family saga as it unfolds in the novel.

She is 20 years old when the story begins.

Elizabeth is characterized as a sensible, yet stubborn, young woman.

Elizabeth is the second daughter of five. Her four sisters are Jane, the eldest the most beautiful and kindhearted, Mary, a severely pious plain sister, overlooked Kitty and flirtatious 15 year old Lydia. They live near Netherfield an estate leased by Mr. Charles Bingley in residence with his sister Miss. Caroline Bingley, and good friend the very rich Mr. Darcy.

All five Bennet sisters are all out in society although Lydia is only 15 years old and acts it. Lydia is the source of many embarrassing incidences for Elizabeth and Jane.

Elizabeth is, for that time period, a woman ahead of her age. She thinks and questions motives, being even considered impolite and bold. She will not marry without love, although twice proposed to, first by Mr. Collins, her stupid and supercilious cousin and heir to the family estate Longbourne, and second by Mr. Darcy, who she rejects at first offering because she believes him to be prideful and arogant.

From the title, she represents pride. Too proud to marry without love, too proud to at first see the other side of the story and admit she is wrong. In the end, both she and Darcy grow out of their pride and prejudice, finally getting married. Or she could represent Prejudice, for she is prejudice against Darcy after overhearing his remarks about her at the assembly they first meet and see his great Pride in how he acts then. This Prejudice causes her to think poorly of him until he manages to demonstrate his love and generousity by helping her family recover the youngest sister Lydia when Lydia imprudently runs away with the dastardly Wickham.