Elizabeth Bennet Flashcards
What is Elizabeths role in the novel
- she is the heroin
- Events are frequently viewed from her perspective
- the central character who is intelligent, self critical and capable of development
- defend herself quickly
- the narrator and Elizabeth seen very close in their attitudes
What key aspects of Elizabeth should you focus on
Her lively intelligence
Her strong mindedness
Her readiness to acknowledge her own misjudgements
Her embarrassment about her family
What does the quote “she is not half so handsome as JAne, nor half so good humoured as Lydia”’ show about Elizabeth
She is less immediately attractive or less fun loving than some of her sisters, through she has a strong sense of humour
She is also constantly compared between her sisters, making everyone fight for top places.
In the late 1700’s women would have been second class citizens to their husbands, so depending on who they married would plan their life out, if you were neither handsome or humoured you would be consider unattractive and therefore probably marry to a lower class citizen, which would have been frowned upon considering she came from a higher class family
What does the quote ‘Elizabeth continued her walk alone, crossing field after field at a quick pace”
When necessary she is prepared to be unladylike and unconventional breaking the stereotypical gender norms and expectations. Highlighting her independence and strong mindedness. Women in the late 1700’s would have been expected to be assertive to males and also remain some sense of ladylike morals.
What does the quote her face “was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes”
Darcy recognises that her expressive face reveals a lively mind. He is attracted to her for her intelligence and beautiful expression. He is having to lower his ego and pride in order to admit into fancying her
What does the quote “you taught me a lesson… but you I was properly humbled” sow about Elizabeth’s behaviour
She has the intelligences and wisdom to gain Darcy’s respect, she has thought through and tactically about how to gain his respect, due to not many people being able to do this considering his narrow mind and pride
What does the quote “Had her family made an agreement to expose themselves as much as they could” show about Elizabeth
She is observant about what her family is doing, this is a sign of the critical thinking that follows which helps her learn more about the world.
The reader often watches her watching others and shares her feelings, we gain a close bond with Elizabeth as her thoughts are constantly being shared making us feel secure and personal
