the character ofMrs. Gardiner is introduced to provide a wise, sane response to Elizabeth's immaturity. She is the first to suggest that Wickham might not be quite as trustworthy as Elizabeth thinks. Mrs. Gardiner's evident intelligence, empathy, and insightfulness provide Elizabeth with an example to follow and hint at what she will eventually become when at long last she breaks free of the prejudice that has distorted her view of the world.

Another point to add is to consider how Elizabeth represents the title of the novel.  Where and why is she prideful and what are her prejudices?  How do those qualities and notions affect her interactions with all of the various characters in the novel?

She is obviously quick to judge and holds her prejudices against others for quite awhile.  Darcy makes a poor first impression, and Elizabeth takes a significant amount of time to come to a truer understanding and appreciation of him.  She doesn't even see the light when he first proposes -- it is only after he defends himself against her false charges in regards to Wickham, that she realizes her erroneous prejudices.  Until then, she believed Wickham's lies because she wanted to believe them.  The lies seemed to fit her assumptions about Darcy.

While her prejudices keep her from Darcy, it is her pride that ultimately unites her with him.  Elizabeth shows a significant moment of personal pride in her final show-down with Lady Catherine.  Elizabeth is not going to let someone of Lady Catherine's stature bully her into a decision.  She stands up for herself, her family and her position in society.  While she doesn't have a title, she is still proud of her own person, and this strength and pride proves to Darcy that Elizabeth does care for him and gives him the courage to try a second proposal.

Elizabeth Bennet is arguably one of Jane Austen's most beloved characters.  I personally believe this is due, in part, to her characteristic honesty and ability to make what some might describe as "outspoken" a quality of grace and admiration.

Elizabeth Bennet has high standards both for herself and others.  Because of this, she is often critical, but not necessarily mean nor rude.  Actually, she's often quite funny.  Her quick wit and ironic (or dry) sense of humor were not exactly socially acceptable for women in her society, which only shows her boldness and confidence to be herself even when it isn't necessarily "fashionable" to do so.

Throughout the novel, we see Elizabeth's struggle between saying and acting out exactly what is on her mind or practicing the self-control that is expected of her.  We're proud when she accomplishes either, because she manages to make every decision through a perspective of learned intelligence combined with common sense.  Because she herself is authentic, she is attracted to others who have a strong sense of self.

Her stubbornness too is a loveable quality, because this means Elizabeth Bennet is not perfect.  The majority of her problems stem from her equal parts "pride" and "prejudice."  Really, the foundation of the entire novel is summed up in this one character, who grows from beginning to end in finding a balance between these qualities.

The easiest way to do this kind of assignment is review each of the scenes where she is present.  There are two in particular that give the best picture of her character:  the first dinner party at Rosings and her visit to Elizabeth at the end of the novel.

Even before these scenes, her characterization is drawn through Mr. Collins' talking about her.  He reveals that she is very wealthy and his patron, but we also learn that she is incredibly arrogant and controlling.  Collins actually states in his failed proposal to Elizabeth that he is getting married because Lady Catherine told him he should.  Wow!

Once Elizabeth actually meets her, we get the full picture and it is exactly as we expected.  Lady Catherine is extremely proud, self-centered, and arrogant.  She shows no qualms about questioning and passing judgement on nearly every aspect of Elizabeth's upbringing -- she looks down on her for not having a governess; she can't believe there are five daughters all "out" at the same time; she is critical of Elizabeth's musical talents.  Elizabeth handles it all with an admirable aplomb, but we are left with a distinct dislike of Lady C.  She seems to just believe she lives in a world were people of her class get to make all the rules and there is no thought that those beneath her socially can have any significant value. 

This is made even more evident when she confronts Elizabeth at the end of the novel and tells her, point blank, that she is not allowed to marry Darcy.  She really has no place to tell Elizabeth, much less Darcy, how to live their lives, but she also has no reservations in making her comments.  Elizabeth will not give her the satisfaction of agreeing with her or even saying anything specific about how she feels about Darcy.  Remember, at the this point Elizabeth has little idea of how Darcy feels about her and is not all that hopeful that they will end up together.  She takes her stand merely on principle!  That is why we cheer on Elizabeth and love that Lady Catherine fails and is put her place by the daring heroine of the novel.

I think the answer that herappleness provides is very complete in lots of ways and really helps us to identify some of the qualities of "goodness" in Elizabeth Bennet. However, clearly, any definition of "good" must define what "goodness" is. To me, "goodness" isn't just being nice to people who actually probably deserve censure and scorn. Actually, "goodness" implies two things that we see in Elizabeth's character: a determination to stand up for what you think is right and an ability to identify where you went wrong and to learn from that.

Consider how in Chapter 41 Lizzie, abiding by her idea of what is approved conduct in her society, outspokenly challenges her father and confronts him with certain realities about Lydia:

"Excuse me--for I must speak plainly. If you, my dear father, will not take the trouble of checking her exuberant spirits, and of teaching her that her present pursuits are not to be the business of her life, she will soon be beyond the reach of amendment. Her character will be fixed, and she will, at sixteen, be the most determined flirt that ever made herself and her family ridiculous."

Here we can see that Lizzie is good because her values cause her to challenge her father's judgement openly when it was not deemed proper for women to do such a thing.

Likewise, at the end of the story, we see her ability to reflect on her own prejudice and mistakes, and how she has learnt and grown from those errors:

"We will not quarrel for the greater share of blame annexed to that evening," said Elizabeth. "The conduct of neither, if strictly examined, will be irreproachable; but since then, we have both, I hope, improved in civility."

Note the willingness with which Elizabeth admits that she was at fault. She says she has been "heartily ashamed" of her behaviour, and her ability to honestly admit her mistakes and to show that she has been able to overcome her prejudice marks her as a truly "good" heroine.

The character of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice is characterized as a good woman because she unites the qualities that make her a good friend, a loyal sister, and a person true to herself and to others.

Elizabeth Bennet is first and foremost devoted to her sister, Jane. She is her confidant, her supporter, and a kindred spirit. Whenever Jane feels sad, or alone, Elizabeth is willing to place her sister's happiness before her own. She also suffers when her sister suffers and defends her quite fiercely from Miss Bingley and Mr. Darcy.

Her loyalty is also evident with Mr. Wickham. When she was under the impression that he was a good man, she stood by him.  She also defended Wickham from Darcy until she learned about his real identity.

Most importantly, Elizabeth is definitely a good woman because she demonstrates that she has a lot of patience for her family. It is not easy being a Bennet: Mrs. Bennet, her mother, is a very obnoxious and loud woman who embarrassed Elizabeth with her behavior. Lydia, Elizabeth's sister, was boy-crazy and did nothing to hide it. Her behavior was not lady-like. Lydia also eloped with Mr. Wickham to the total humiliation of the rest of the family. All this would have made anyone lose their minds, yet, Elizabeth suffered in silence and tolerated all of this as best as she could.

In all, Elizabeth had to both defend and tolerate her family and herself. She did it with a lot of patience and with love above anything else.

Jane is an effective foil for her sister Elizabeth, the novel's protagonist, because where Elizabeth is clever, intelligent, and often outspoken, Jane is submissive, eager to please, and in her father's eyes, too generous, and easily taken advantage of.  Jane, however, tends toward being the Bennet sisters' mother's favorite because she is, in the words of Bingley, "the most beautiful creature I ever beheld."  Mrs. Bennet feels most confident that of the four girls, Jane will be the one to most easily marry off in a "good connection" or "favorable match".  However, Jane's love life with not without its tribulations as Darcy, for a time, discourages Bingley from his amorous intentions with Jane, and we see Jane at her most passively helpless as she copes with the rejection.  She spends a great deal of time moping during the period when Bingley is otherwise engaged, and one is reminded of her comment early in the novel, when she told Bingley she wished she could read more because "there's always so much more to do".  She didn't actually seem to have that much more to do when she was without Bingley to keep her entertained, and it occurs to the reader that in addition to being a pleaser, Jane wasn't exactly an intellectual heavyweight. 

An important passage that helps the reader become cognisant of the character of Elizabeth comes just after the famous put down that Darcy says, unfortunately in her hearing, as to why he refuses to dance with her. Note how Elizabeth responds to being told that she is merely "tolerable":

Mr. Darcy walked off; and Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings towards him. She told the story however with great spirit among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition, that delighted in anything ridiculous.

Here the reader is introduced to two aspects of Elizabeth's character that prove to be crucial in the subsequent pages. Firstly, she is a character who is defined by her prejudice in the same way that Mr. Darcy is defined by his pride. Having heard Mr. Darcy's comment, her mind is made up about his character, and she dismisses him as a proud disagreable individual with no hope of redemption. It is interesting to note that Austen originally planned to call this novel First Impressions, and this title certainly captures the problem that Elizabeth has as she trusts far too much in first impressions, both in the way that she discounts the character of Darcy and trusts the character of Wickham.

Secondly, the quote also establishes the more playful side of Elizabeth in the way that she is able to laugh at Darcy's behaviour. This of course prepares the reader for the ease with which she mocks humorously those around her, both her mother and sisters, but also others such as Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy. She is a character who is able to laugh at the faults she finds in those around her, even if she is blind to some of the faults that she herself has. These are two of the most important aspects of Lizzie's character as she is presented to the reader in the opening chapters.

In this masterful study of society, Austen seems to reserve much of her scorn for the character of Mrs. Bennet. Austen wastes no time in the first chapter in introducing her as:

...a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.

Thus Mrs. Bennet is presented as a woman who is obsessed with getting her daughters married. She is shown to be so focussed on this that the actual nature of the men in question appears to be forgotten, exemplified in her delight in Wickham as a son-in-law. Likewise she is shown to be a woman with little understanding of how to behave properly in society. Poor Elizabeth and Jane are constantly embarrassed by their mother's inappropriate comments in society and schemes to try and get them married off, such as when Mrs. Bennet insists that Jane goes to Netherfield on horseback because it "looks like rain" and therefore she will have to stay the night.

Mrs. Bennet is also shown to have a negative influence on Kitty and Lydia in particular, who are allowed to run around without discipline or moderation, acting as flirts and with little regard for others. As Lizzie says to her father when she appeals to him to not let Lydia go to Brighton with the militia, Lydia is in danger of being "beyond the reach of amendment" and "the most determined flirt."

Elizabeth does a fairly good job of describing her own character in Volume II, Chapter XIII (36) after having read Darcy's famous letter written after Elizabeth rejects his marriage proposal and told him exactly what she thinks of him: "You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it."

After reading Darcy's explanation of his actions and of Wickham's history, especially his rejection of the living (clergy position) reserved for him by Darcy Sr. and his infamous, scandalous behavior toward Miss Georgiana Darcy, Elizabeth makes a serious re-evaluation of her own character.

"How humiliating is this discovery! -- Yet, how just a humiliation! -- Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly. -- Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment, I never knew myself.'' (V. II, Ch XIII (36))

Elizabeth character is best described as young and thoughtless. She is not malicious, though she does do harm. Yet the harm is fairly mild, as harm goes, and can be repaired by thinking and doing better. She harms Charlotte by disparaging her choice to marry Collins. She harms Darcy by harboring a prideful dislike based on his behavior at the Meryton Assembly Ball. Elizabeth is proud, though she accuses Darcy of having pride.

Elizabeth is prejudiced. She was prejudiced toward Wickham for not reason than that he flattered her vanity. She was prejudiced against Darcy for no greater reason than that he was uncomfortable with dancing at a ball where all were strangers (while Bingley had such difficulty) and he slighted her beauty. She is, by her own confession, by her father's admission, and by what we observe of her in the text, given to laughing at people and herself a bit too much so that she misses some truly important moments for which earnestness would be more appropriate. 

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bennet has many fine qualities, which are sometimes overshadowed temporarily by her less praiseworthy ones. In particular, Lizzie is a loyal sister, friend, and daughter. She is especially close to her sister Jane and puts Jane’s happiness above her own. Although she initially criticizes her friend Charlotte for accepting Mr. Collins, she soon appreciates her reasons for doing so, and their friendship becomes stronger than ever. Although Lizzie initially misunderstands both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham, when her sister Lydia is in trouble, she does all she can to help her and revises her opinion of Darcy; she appreciates his devotion to his own sister as well. Lizzie frequently disagrees with her frivolous mother, but she strives to do what is best for the whole family; this often means that she and Jane take charge of the household while their mother is indisposed. She is especially close to her bookish, withdrawn father and, until love strikes, does not mind the prospect of living at home with him.

When writing a character analysis, what we are looking for is exactly what the character is like as a person. There are several things that can be examined in order to complete a character analysis. Below is a link to a larger list of the things to examine, but some of them are the character's ethics, motives, whether or not we think the character's actions are wise or unwise, and whether or not the character's actions create any effects. Since we are limited to space, we won't be able to discuss all of these details for Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice, but below are a few ideas to get you started.

For one thing, we do know that Elizabeth is a very ethical character with a strong sense of morality. In fact, we see her as a critic of not only herself but of her parents as well. Elizabeth criticizes herself when, after reading Darcy's letter, she finally realizes just how wrong she has been in her judgements. She judged Wickham to be admirable and trustworthy, simply because he is friendly and conversational. While she judged Darcy to be prideful, arrogant, and conceited well before she met Wickham, she also let her wrongful trust in Wickham influence her opinion of Darcy, thereby judging Darcy to be the most despicable person she's ever met. However, Darcy's account of Wickham's actions help her to see things rightly. She knows that Darcy's account is trustworthy because the story involves his own sister, and he certainly wouldn't slander his sister just to put Wickham in a negative light. As Elizabeth phrases her self-revelation:

How despicably have I acted! ... I, who have prided myself on my discernment!--I, who have valued myself on my abilities! who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity, in useless or blameable distrust ... Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. (Ch. 36)

Hence, we see from her self-judgement that Elizabeth is characterized as having a strong sense of what is right and wrong and as valuing moral behavior. She now sees that her pride, her judgements, and her vanity have definitely been immoral behavior.

We can also analyze Elizabeth's character from any effects she has created. For example, her chastisements of Darcy when he first proposes, though misguided, were actually beneficial for him. Darcy was absolutely repulsed and mortified by the idea that she viewed him as arrogant, conceited, selfish, and that his proposal was delivered in a less "gentleman-like manner" than what would be expected of him (Ch. 34). As a result, Darcy not only explains his behavior, but also makes every effort to act less arrogantly and prideful, even asking to be introduced to Elizabeth's working class relations, the Gardiners, and engaging in conversation with them while on his estate at Pemberley. He also later confesses just how much Elizabeth's chastisements "tortured" him, making him want to amend his ways (Ch. 58). In the end, Darcy proves himself to be the most moral and noble character in the book as evidenced by how he rescues Elizabeth's and her family's reputation by bribing Wickham into marrying Lydia. Hence, we see that another part of Elizabeth's characterization is that her own sense of ethics and morality also inspire other characters to improve their ethical and moral conduct.

When I think of Mary, I often think of American Idol, and the contestants who think that they are much more talented than they actually are--and no one had the heart to tell them until they were shot down by the judges.  At parties, Mary is the one to always offer her services at the piano, playing pieces and singing with no talent and an embarassing lack of social awareness.  She has good intentions, that's for sure, but is blisfully and sadly unaware of her own mediocrity.

In addition to her lack of musical talent (and lack of awareness about it,) Mary reads interesting books that develop within her very interesting opinions that she has no shyness in sharing.  She states her opinions pointedly and with a haughty confidence; she is so certain of her correctness of opinion that it never crosses her mind to revise her thoughts or keep them to herself.  Although she is not prone to silliness like her other sisters, she takes things the opposite direction, and is so ultra-serious all of the time that it is humorous to the reader, and to her family (as long as they are in the privacy of their own home, and not on public display).

Jane Austen describes Mary's character with her usual genius ability to thoroughly and completely characterize people; Through Austen's amazing descriptions, Mary becomes so real that we can see her primly perched at the piano, warbling a song that she truly feels is the most beautiful rendition ever performed.

I hope that those thoughts helped; good luck!

While Jane is not the main character in Pride and Prejudice, we learn much about her character through her actions, her ability to rise above the challenging circumstances that tend to be created by her mother, and Elizabeth’s ongoing deep affection for her.

We learn early on that Jane is beautiful and that she has a “quieter way about her.” It quickly becomes apparent in chapter 3 that Jane is adept at keeping her feelings to herself, and she stays quiet all through her mother’s raptures about how wonderful Mr. Bingley is. I would also argue that by keeping her thoughts to herself, rather than sharing them with her mother, Jane showcases the virtue of wisdom. Her mother, who rather resembles a bull in a china shop when it comes to the prospect of any of her daughters getting married, is unlikely to have kept the news of Jane’s affections to herself.

Perhaps one of the greatest of Jane’s virtues is that she unfailingly tries to see the good in people. When Mr. Darcy’s rudeness is pointed out in chapter 5, she states that according to Miss Bingley, Darcy is “remarkable agreeable” among his “intimate acquaintances.” She is unable to consider him simply a rude man. Similarly, when Mr. Wickham is being discussed at the start of chapter 17, we learn that “it was not in [Jane’s] nature to question the veracity of a young man of such amiable appearance as Wickham.” It could be argued that Jane’s goodness and inability to see anything bad in people is a form of naivete.

Jane is selfless and does not want anyone to make a fuss of her, even when they probably should. Having travelled to Netherfield on horseback at her mother’s behest, Jane becomes ill in chapter 7, but she does her very best to conceal the seriousness of her illness when sending a note home to Longbourn.

In summary, Jane’s virtues include kindness, an inability to think ill of others, selflessness, and the ability to keep her thoughts to herself.

A character sketch is a way of introducing a character to a reader. It gives a reader a mind's eye view of the character by allowing the reader to see how the character acts, talks, what they think, what they believe, and what they're personalities are like.

For Elizabeth Bennet, a character sketch would especially describe her nature as being witty. Elizabeth is very good at quickly discerning the irony in a situation and either having a private laugh about it, or making a joke about it. For instance, when Darcy argues that pride is a virtue in a well-educated person, because that person has the ability to modulate his/her pride, Elizabeth hides a smile. Her private joke is that she sees Darcy, a well-educated man, as having far too much pride, which is ironically contrary to his claim (Ch. 11, Vol. 1).

It is also in Elizabeth's nature to be extremely outspoken. We especially see this when she is meeting Lady Catherine de Bourgh for the first time and she argues to Lady Catherine on her belief that it is only fair for her younger sisters to be out in society as well. Another instance of Elizabeth's wit is also seen in this scene when, when inquired of her age, Elizabeth only condescends to say she is "not one and twenty" (Ch. 6, Vol. 2).

Other things that one might want to include in a character sketch of Elizabeth is that it is in her nature to rebel against the norms of society, for instance, she does not play and sing music well, and she does not paint or draw. Also, unlike other people, it is in her nature to very quickly accept her faults. It did not take her long, after reading Darcy's letter, to realize that she had completely misjudged him and been prejudiced against him.

Elizabeth Bennet is the second daughter of five. She is very close to her older sister Jane and is her father's favorite. She is not very close to her three rather silly younger sisters. She has beautiful eyes, and we often see her in active poses: dancing, walking, or jumping over mud puddles and stiles to visit the sick Jane at Netherfield. More than anything, however, she is witty, intelligent and high-spirited, with a strong sense of fun. She loves to laugh. She has a passionate nature and is quick to jump to conclusions, which leads to her being the "prejudice" of the book's title. She is of the gentry class, has no dowry to help her marry, and her family can be an embarrassment to her (except for Jane).

Mr. Darcy is a wealthy aristocrat and the owner of landed estate. He is tall and handsome, but his social skills, while correct, can be cold and off-putting. He has a much younger sister, and his parents are dead. Because he is shy, he is only relaxed and comfortable with the people he knows well. He comes across to the rest of the world as arrogant and unpleasant. He is proud of his social status, as he has been taught to be, making him the "pride" of the novel's title. He offends Elizabeth greatly when she overhears him saying she is not pretty enough to dance with, and she develops a prejudice against him. With her high-spirited nature she refuses to kow-tow to him, and, naturally, he falls in love with her.

Both Elizabeth and Darcy have to grow and change to be able to marry each other. Elizabeth is one of the most charming characters in English literature, and it is hard not to cheer her on as she wins the devotion of the proud Mr. Darcy.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Darcy is the character most often associated with pride and Elizabeth Bennett with prejudice. Darcy inherited his estate and responsibility for his sister, Georgiana Darcy, at an early age. He takes his responsibilities very seriously, and though perhaps inordinately aware of station and somewhat prejudiced against his social inferiors, is also emblematic of the best of the landed gentry in his kindness to servants and adherence to his moral beliefs and duties. Elizabeth Bennett is extremely clever, with an active sense of humour and a tendency towards mischief. Although she sometimes (as in the case of Darcy) judges people too quickly, she is fundamentally kind-hearted and ethical.

Beginning with Elizabeth Bennett, she is a high-spirited and intelligent young lady. She is a keen social observer who mocks contemporary ideas of marriage and is very skeptical of the marriage market in general. In Chapter 21, for example, she is the first to realize that Miss Bingley does not want Jane to marry her brother, despite the obvious love between the pair:

Indeed, Jane, you ought to believe me. No one who has ever seen you together can doubt his affection. Miss Bingley, I am sure, cannot. She is not such a simpleton. Could she have seen half as much love in Mr. Darcy for herself, she would have ordered her wedding clothes. But the case is this: We are not rich enough or grand enough for them.

Elizabeth is also a very loving sister who is dedicated to preserving the well-being of her family. She walks to Netherfield, for example, after receiving the news that her sister, Jane, has developed a cold and remains with her until she is well. Later, when her sister, Lydia, elopes with Mr Wickham, Elizabeth is extremely worried for her welfare, not just the impact of this scandal on her family's reputation.  

But Elizabeth does have one major flaw: she represents "prejudice" in the novel because she allows her feelings towards Darcy to be manipulated by the false testimony of Mr Wickham. It is not until she learns the truth directly from Darcy in Chapter 35 that she changes her opinion. But this revelation marks a turning point in the novel: once her view is corrected, she begins to perceive Darcy in a different light and eventually agrees to marry him.

Conversely, Fitzwilliam Darcy represents the "pride" in Pride and Prejudice. This attitude derives, in part, from his wealthy and aristocratic background which imbues him with a sense of social superiority. In his dealings with women, Darcy often comes across as cold and blunt. We see this in Chapter 11, when Miss Bingley invites Elizabeth to join her for a walk around the room. Darcy immediately senses a ruse and is dismissive in his attitude:

You either choose this method of passing the evening because you are in each other's confidence, and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking; if the first, I would be completely in your way, and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire.

Similarly, in his first marriage proposal to Elizabeth, he emphasizes her "inferior" social status instead of the reasons why he loves her. This prompts a strong reaction from Elizabeth but demonstrates both his sense of superiority and his often-blunt attitude towards others.

But Darcy will admit fault when he knows he is wrong. In Chapter 50, for example, he says to Elizabeth: "I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit." His ability to open up with Elizabeth demonstrates a warmer side to his character and is a driving force in encouraging her to fall in love with him. In other words, Elizabeth is the only person who can help him to overcome his pride, while Darcy is the only person who dissipate Elizabeth's prejudice.

One of the more interesting things about Elizabeth that is sometime overlooked (especially in film versions) is that she is an upper class gentleman's daughter. She is a lady. She is not a country bumpkin with no grace, manners, civility, education or talent (as her younger sisters are--Mrs. Bennet must have gotten worn out as well as depressed after raising the first two daughters and finding yet another daughter rather than a son to break the entail). She can very easily be conceived of as of the same kind of young woman as Jane Austen herself, and no one accuses Jane Austen of being countrified though a clergyman's daughter and though not living in London.

The qualities that go with her description as a lady are her ability to reason. Remember, her mental acuity is so keen as to be able to keep up with Darcy himself when they exchange barbs at Netherfield during Jane's illness and later during the ball. Similarly, she is keen enough to thoroughly denounce Darcy with irrefutable logic, though she got some of her facts related to Wickham wrong, when he proposed in Kent and she proved he was not acting like a gentleman. Another quality that goes with being a lady is that she can stand up to even the likes of Lady de Bourgh who believes that she can utterly cow Elizabeth with her superior rank and power. Yet, since Elizabeth knows she is a gentleman's daughter (even though he wasted his wealth while vainly expecting a son) and a lady, she can reject Lady de Bourgh's demands and intimidation and send Lady de Bourgh completely unsatisfied with the results of her visit to Longbourn.

"In marrying your nephew, I should not consider myself as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter; so far we are equal. ... Whatever my connections may be," said Elizabeth, "if your nephew does not object to them, they can be nothing to you. ... You can now have nothing further to say," [Elizabeth] resentfully answered. "You have insulted me in every possible method. I must beg to return to the house."