Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is arguably one of the most influential books of the twentieth century. But in the context of the times, this book is not just a love/hate/love story. Austen put the pedal to the medal in more ways than one when she wrote this book. She opened the door to the place where a woman who was quick-witted and smart could actually find love and a true one at that. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are not only a couple at the end of this novel, but also a representation of equal power in a relationship. The entire Bennet family seems to support this idea, apart from the oblivious Mrs. Bennet, who is a representation of the societal matriarch, who is whiny and more than a little bit annoying. She cannot stop going on about her "nerves." In many ways, it is not just Mrs. Bennet who is the idea of a typical mother, but also that of her relationship with Mr. Bennet, who is obviously in control of the relationship. What he says almost always goes, unless Mrs. Bennet annoys him into doing something. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's relationship with each other is the foil to that of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Where Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have different amounts of power, with most of it going to Mr. Bennet, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are equally seated. When Mr. Darcy pushes, Elizabeth pushes back, she herself going against the societal norms with her brash attitude and brain of her own. The twentieth century was the time of the woman coming into her own, and Pride and Prejudice is one of the examples of literature that depicts this change. The Bennet family is full of women that all show different aspects of a personality, Elizabeth being the most favorable along with Jane, her elder sister. Lydia is young and very naive, with no regard for what is appropriate, and running off with a man who is of questionable integrity. Mary is the silent, intellectual type, who ignores most other people entirely. Katherine is wholly Lydia's sidekick, and really doesn't have much role in the story. Jane is quiet and sweet, but also follows her mother's demands, even if they make her physically ill. Elizabeth is the woman that every contemporary girl hopes to be like. She marches to the beat of her own drum, but does so in a reserved and intelligent way. This idea of the intelligent, romantic woman that Austen portrayed would have been a type of social commentary. P & P is like Austen' s way of saying "times are a'changin' !
