Do girls like Elizabeth deserve guys like Darcy (of Pride and Prejudice)?
Most of the tales and love stories that we read envelope the concept of love where initially there is a constant tiff between the girl and the boy. Next, some unforeseen incident takes place and there is sudden surge of soft mushy feelings from both the sexes and before they know it, they find themselves in love with each other.
It’s funny plus sad how I was able to deduce some of the greatest love stories into a couple of lines.
But wait.
There is another favorite of mine- A popular, good looking damsel and a goofy, geeky guy who have been friends for long (like the guy is totally, brutally friend zoned) and the girl is with this other rich brat who cheats on her and then she is all tears and sad and then the friendzoned guy comes in and makes her smile and then the girl realizes that the love of her life has been here all the time (just another Jenifer Aniston movie).
What I am trying to say here is that be it in literature or in cinema, it is only the girl who has been shown more ignorant or totally high headed. Both the traits are carefully balanced and then only are we able to relate with the protagonist. This article is also dedicated to one of the most celebrated characters of fiction world which is till date considered as Jane Austen’s best creation. Yes, I am talking about Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. Like always for all those who are not aware of the story I shall tell you it in brief.
The Bennets are one of not so well to do so families and Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five daughters. Each one of them has been shown to be of extreme nature and Elizabeth is the second eldest daughter followed by Jane who is the most beautiful. Mrs Bennet is the most opportunistic women ever and every moment of her life is dedicated towards bagging the most suitable (rich) man for her daughters. There is one Mr Bingley who is a rich man with a big estate. He is a goofy guy with the perfect smile and demeanor. Jane and Bingley fall in love at their first meet and along with that the tiff begins between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy. Talking in terms of attitude towards life, Darcy is everything that Bingley isn’t. He is the kinda guy who acts shady and keeps a low profile but his wealth speaks for him and hence he is considered as the most eligible bachelor. Just in one conversation both Elizabeth and Darcy form firm opinions about each other and they realize that they just can’t stand being in the same room.
Due to consequent events Elizabeth and Darcy keep meeting and conversing with each other. The news of Bingley leaving the locality hits the Bennets in the wrong way and it shatters the poor Jane who thought Bingley was in love with her. Then Elizabeth meets a soldier George Wickham, a handsome, fortune-hunting militia officer. Wickham’s good looks and charm attract Elizabeth initially, but Darcy’s revelation about Wickham’s disreputable past clues her in to his true nature and simultaneously draws her closer to Darcy. During all this, Elizabeth is proposed by Mr. Collins, a pompous, generally idiotic clergyman who stands to inherit Mr. Bennet’s property. When Elizabeth refuses vehemently, Mr. Collins marries Elizabeth best friend. During her visit to the newlyweds’, Elizabeth discovers that it was because of Mr Darcy that Bingley and Jane couldn’t unite. This gives birth to new hatred for Darcy. She receives letter from Darcy explaining why he was against the union of Bingley and Jane and this pacifies Elizabeth a bit.
But on her visit to Darcy’s mansion, Elizabeth is awestruck by Darcy’s wealth and out of nowhere the little liking for Darcy starts fructifying into love. Then Darcy catches her off guard and he takes a walk with her, her uncle and aunt who are wooed by his charm and manners. There the unfortunate news of Lydia eloping with Wickham takes place and Elizabeth is shattered by the same news. Then eventually Elizabeth discovers that it was only cause of Darcy’s help and money that they were able to find Lydia and Wickham and help them settle down financially. So eventually Elizabeth and Darcy confess their love for each other and then Bingley and Jane too get married and it all ends on a happy note.
Now the thing that needs some careful attention is whether Elizabeth was good enough for Darcy. No matter that she is a good spirited person, a person who believes in love (the literary kind of love), believes in magic of poetry- “Vanity, not love, has been my folly.” All in all she fills all the criterion of a literary character but her major flaw is her ignorance and vanity.
“There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.”, says she.
Darcy, on the other hand, is a perfect coconut but a gentleman at heart. He goes out of way to help the Bennets. Vanity and pride are, too, his traits. This common vices are the major reason of the tussle between the two and when the misunderstandings are put to rest and they get in the clear, they both realize their compatibility is commendable and hence are perfect for each other. Throughout the novel, there is no hint of Darcy’s feelings for Elizabeth developing on the grounds of her wealth. He himself states that despite their economic and social difference he has not been able to hush his heart and is desperately in love with her. Elizabeth, on the other hand, seems to have a change of heart when she witnesses Darcy’s wealth and when she realized all the heroic acts done by him to help her family, her liking nurtures into love and then there is no coming back from that. I am not against Elizabeth, for the initial attitude of Darcy could’ve easily set anyone off. Darcy’s character comes round as he is a changed person by the end of the novel and it becomes impossible to not fall in love with him.
So did Elizabeth really deserve Darcy? Can her feelings be said to be as genuine as Darcy’s? And isn’t it the present scenario? All these questions and all so subjective. Let’s just for once look through the limitations that the society offers to lovers. Social status, economic differences, family pressure and what not, all these forces inhibit the blooming of love. So it is hard to find the culprit here because people who oppose the society find it hard to make a peaceful living and that in most of the cases frustrates their love for each other too. So did happen in the novel where Darcy revolted against his aunt to be with Elizabeth. On a closer reading of the character of Elizabeth we find that she being the good girl everyone thought she was, she had loopholes in her character which were highlighted by her change of heart for Darcy. She mocks Mr. Collins for his clumsy acts and falls for Wickham and his charms. Her perception of good and bad seems to be shallow and highly superficial. No doubt she has been shown as a brave heart yet her double standards seem to fail her. So maybe it can be said that Elizabeth didn’t deserve to be with Darcy and it is Darcy only who comes out as the real hero of the novel no matter how strong headed Elizabeth has been portrayed by Austen.
In conclusion I would simply like to quote Austen only “we all do not have the luxury to fall in love”. So the best we can do is being the best version of ourselves when we do fall in love. Maybe along that way we may find our Darcy too.
-Armaan Sandhu
Edited by Mrinaal Datt
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Well said!
However, I don’t know about you, but I would anyday prefer an extensively flawed character than a Mary Sue. What really binds me to a book is when I can relate to it on some level in any manner. So, being a very flawed person, I can sympathize and relate well to a character with considerable flaws. And that’s exactly why I simply love good ol’ Lizzy. Quoting Austen herself, “I must confess that I think her as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print, and how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least I do not know”.
Yes, she is stubborn, arrogant and vain, perhaps a bit condescending too, but Darcy is no diamond himself. I don’t feel that one of them is non-deserving of the other because of their imperfections. Because don’t we all have some flaws?