Though
written almost two hundred years ago, Jane Austens's Pride
and Prejudice presents a remarkably modern and independent
heroine, immediately likable to the reader. Elizabeth Bennet is
the second of five sisters, all eligible for marriage, but it
is only after she overcomes her tendency to judge others harshly
that she recognizes true love in the proud but kind Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth exhibits spirited rebelliousness unexpected of her time
period; whether standing up to nobility or refusing to marry the
clergyman her mother wishes, she stays true to herself and her
dreams. At the same time, she shows great loyalty to her old but
lovable family, even when this means dropping the possibility
of personal romance to come home when her younger sister is in
trouble. Austen's writing style is old-fashioned and difficult,
but those patient enough for it will delight in her satiric and
realistic characters.
