The Humiliation of Elizabeth Bennet

            In Susan Fraiman’s essay The Humiliation of Elizabeth Bennet she elaborates on the male dominant themes within Pride and Prejudice and the indignity of Elizabeth Bennet being passed from one Paternal figure to another.  In the ceremony of marriage a Father hands over his daughter to her new care taker, or husband, for he will be the new figure within her life that will play the role of dictating the way she acts in society. We see Lizzy’s resistance to this institution throughout the novel in the way she refuses Mr. Collin’s, and how she scoffs at Jane for her rosy ideas of it. As we read further into the novel Lizzy’s independent and intelligent character becomes clearer and clearer. She has been raised by the dry, witty Mr. Bennet and has been taught by him to judge people by the observations made on their actions to determine how interact with them. So then after several interactions with Mr. Darcy Lizzy could determine that he was truly a pigheaded man. As the story continues we find that some of Mr. Darcy’s pride and rudeness is with reason, as with the case of Wickham. But this does not cover all the rudeness paid towards Lizzy and her family, and yet at the end of the novel we see Lizzy agree to marriage with Darcy. This was what was fairly disappointing to Fraiman, that such an independent and intelligent character could so easily forgive and forget Darcy.  So like a wilting rose we watch Elizabeth Bennet marry the source of her sister grief.

Do you think Lizzy should so easily forgive Darcy?

If Darcy hadn’t messed with Jane’s love life, do you think Lizzy would have married him?

Do you think Darcy was right to intervene between Jane and Bingley?