Recently I've started moving the entries that don't fit my focus for Advocacy and the Like to this blog, where I can keep my opinions around for all the world to see. This is the first of more to come. Enjoy!
I've been meaning to write this one for a very, very, very long time. Why haven’t I gotten around to it yet? I wouldn't say there is any one particular reason, but a handful of smaller ones; except for two. One of them being I've been reading “How to Be A Queen” on Wattpad and I finally finished it. I loved it so much I want to re-read it, but sadly there is a wait list for that. I have to finish reading thirteen other books before I can start re-reading others. The second reason being I've been attempting to create my own piece of “literature,” I guess you can call it.
So now, without further ado, here are my opinions of Elizabeth Bennet and Charlotte Lucas from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
I like both of these characters, but I favor Lizzie more for reasons you’ll read later. I’m going to begin with Charlotte, Elizabeth’s closest friend aside from Jane, her older sister.
While reading the book and learning more about Charlotte’s character, I began to see myself in her. I’m not quite her age, but I do feel like there are similarities between us, and I feel like she is looked down upon because of her decision to marry Mr. Collins. She is a plain looking person, with no feature that gives her much beauty. I don’t think she is ugly, but I definitely don’t think that she’s particularly beautiful; just decent looking. She never had any suitors who wanted her hand in marriage, except for Mr. Collins who went to her only after Elizabeth rejected him.
Austen doesn't expound on how Charlotte and Mr. Collins were brought together, only that they were with not much detail. After she told Elizabeth about her engagement, she received unwanted criticism and became defensive. Her reasons for settling with him were that she had no other offers, no place to turn to if something was to happen to her father, and feared becoming an old maid. Her optimism in the situation, however genuine it may be, is something I admire her for. It shows that women can be level headed and be in possession of common sense. She knew her situation more than anyone else and handled it the best she could during her time period. Even though I don’t favor Mr. Collins at all, (although I like him much more than I like Mr. Whickham, for I hate him passionately), Charlotte’s decision was the best for her.
I sort of feel the same way, being plain and not really the “main character,” but I feel like I’m most definitely not settling down for the same reasons she is. My decision to get married, although younger than her, is because I want to and feel like this is what I was supposed to do. I also empathize with her in that she was never bold enough to do much of anything. I think that her defensiveness at Elizabeth’s criticism was the boldest thing she ever did.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, is completely different in character and outcome. She is bold, courageous, intelligent, and witty. I admire her greatly, and look up to her as one of the best heroines ever created in literature. Of course, in my opinion at least, was proud regarding Mr. Darcy; losing some points there. Although since this was part of her character development, I can’t hold this against her.
She never backed down and wasn't afraid to speak her opinion. One thing she said stuck out to me the most, “There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” I am a stubborn person, but my stubbornness is not coupled with courage like hers. I can, and often times am, intimidated by others.
She was also brave in not accepting Mr. Collins as her husband, knowing she may not get many more offers. She still chose to marry for love, and found it in the unlikely person of Mr. Darcy. Her decision to wait on marriage for the right person, even if her rejection of Mr. Collins was her pride telling her she was above him; writing off the slim chance of happiness that probably would never come. It was daring of her to do that, and I admire her for it.
That about sums it up for me. I feel like I may or may not have fully explained myself about them, but know that I favor both of these characters for their own reasons. I would love to write about my obsession with Mr. Darcy and my utter hatred for Mr. Wickham, but it would turn into a circumlocution of sorts. (Haha, bet you didn't think I knew that word, huh?)
- "Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonimously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us." Mary Bennet
