Pride and prejudice ...Elizabeth Bennet

Elizabeth Bennet:

Elizabeth is an intelligent young woman who is described as having "a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in any thing ridiculous". She often presents a playful good natured impertinence, that does not offend. Early in the novel she isdepicted as being personally proud of her mental quickness and her acuity in judging the social behaviour and intentions of others.Elizabeth is the second of five sisters and her father's favourite, and is described byhim by having "something more of quickness than her sisters"; though she is oftendistressed and embarrassed by the behaviour of her mother and of her younger sisters. Her father is a gentleman and a landowner, but his estate, Longbourn, isentailed away from him because he does not have a son, and upon his death,Longbourn will be inherited by his cousin Mr. Collins, a sycophantic and foolishclergyman. Elizabeth is described as being the child that her mother is "least fond"of - especially after she refuses Mr. Collins' proposal of marriage. She isconsidered a local beauty and charming, with "fine eyes", which are the firstfeature Fitzwilliam Darcy is drawn to. He is later drawn more particularly to her mind and personality, and eventually considers her to be "one of the handsomestwomen" in his acquaintance.The novel primarily focuses on Elizabeth and her relationship with Mr. Darcy, awealthy, proud man who upon their first meeting snubs her at a public dance in her home village. Elizabeth's first impression then is to disdain Mr. Darcy. When shemeets handsome, attentive Lieutenant George Wickham, she considers himcharming and personable and there is a mutual attraction between them. Wickhamleads Elizabeth and the neighborhood to believe he has been unfairly treated byDarcy, claiming that Darcy denied him a living as a clergyman that was his due.Elizabeth's dislike of Darcy is further fueled by his disrupting the courtship of her  beloved sister Jane and Charles Bingley, Darcy's friend. Elizabeth is persuaded thather prejudice against Darcy is well-founded, both on available evidence and uponher superior judgment of human character. Meanwhile, Jane is suffering becauseMr. Bingley, the man whom she thought loved her, has gone away to London. Janewas persuaded that the cause of this departure was because Bingley's sistersCaroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst thought an attachment between their brother and Jane would not be proper because of the disparity in wealth and social position. Later Elizabeth learns from Darcy's cousin Richard Fitzwilliam that itwas Darcy who collaborated with Caroline and Louisa to separate the pair, allwhich causes her to dislike Mr. Darcy even more.

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