In Jane Austen's novel, Pride and
Prejudice, Elizabeth's attitude about women settling for less than they
deserve is a strong theme in the story. However, she is also concerned about how a woman
will show no compunction whatsoever about "taking out" her competition by "undervaluing"
the female sex in general (which ironically may spell disaster for the scheming woman in
question anyway).
Elizabeth is very unhappy when her friend
Charlotte accepts the proposal of Mr. Collins, knowing that her friend does not love the
man. Charlotte represents a woman in Austen's society that was not always fortunate
enough to wait for a marriage based on love, but on convenience, as a woman's choices
were limited: without a family or husband, a woman had few acceptable career choices,
and faced a lifetime of drudgery and want. Charlotte is being practical, but Elizabeth
struggles with the concept that this situation exists within her
society.
In keeping with Caroline Bingley's attempt to
attract Darcy by undervaluing her own sex, this is also something that Elizabeth cannot
countenance. Caroline is responsible for driving a wedge between her brother Charles and
Jane Bennet, something that eventually comes to naught. In trying to condemn Elizabeth
in Darcy's eyes, Caroline is responsible more for undervaluing women in general: besides
being a snob, she places too much importance on one's appearance, discounting the value
of the woman beneath her beauty or lack
thereof.
Ironically, this behavior backfires, as Darcy
resists Caroline's attempt to dissuade him from his attraction to Elizabeth; if
anything, he is more determined to have her.
Austen, in
speaking through Elizabeth, shows the reader that here, once again, is another kind of
woman within England's society, who though she may be motivated by love (which Elizabeth
would admire), is willing to demean the personage of another woman
who presents any competition.
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