Elizabeth's Strength of Character in Pride and Prejudice In her novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen used the character of Elizabeth Bennet to embody the harmonious balance between reason and emotion in a woman, making her a truly admirable and attractive character. Elizabeth's strength of character is emphasized by her contrast with Jane's weak and naive acceptance, Mrs. Bennet's instability and excess, and Kitty's blind and strong-willed following. His strength is also demonstrated in his rejection of Mr. Collins and Darcy's proposals. Unlike her mother, she does not base her choice of lovers on the economic security that they will give her, and she has the strength to reject them. This is particularly evident in his rejection of Darcy's initial proposal, when he shows a passionate strength in his anger due to the belief that he has willfully prevented Jane and Bingley's marriage and has wronged Wickham by refusing to grant him the property that the old Mr. Darcy left him a legacy. In both cases, the suitor is confident that their request will be accepted, and as a result Elizabeth's refusals are amplified by the extent of the blows to their egos. At Rosings, she does not allow Lady Catherine to tyrannize her as "mere satellites of money and rank, which she thought she might witness without trepidation." The Lucases and Collins are subservient to Lady Catherine, with Mary being "frightened almost to death", and society as a whole is likely to behave similarly, as Elizabeth suspects she is "the first creature that ever dared to joke with such dignified impertinence." She is again presented as a rebel against class ideas when Lady Catherine visits her to ensure that... middle of paper... Chris, D., (ed.), Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company, 1986. Vo. 13, pp. 53-111. Austen, Jane. Pride and prejudice. New York: Airmont Books, 1962."Jane Austen, " Discovering Author Forms, http://galenet.gale.com/a/acp/netacgi/nph-brs?d=DAMA&s1=bio&s2=Austen,+Jane&1 =50&pg1 =DT&pg2=NM&p=1&Moler, Kenneth. Pride and Prejudice: A Study in the Arts Economy. Boston, MA: Twayne Publishers, 1989. “Novels: 'Pride and Prejudice.'” in The British Critic. vol. XLI, February 1813: 189-90.Southam, BC, (ed.), Jane Austen: The Critical Heritage. Landon, NY: Routledge and Kegan Paul - Barres & Nobel Inc., 1968. Weldon, Fay. From Letters to Alice: First Reading Jane Austen. Taplinger Publishing Co. Inc, 1984 in Readings on Jane Austen. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Green Haven Press, 1997: 34-41.