Pride and Prejudice
Is it correct to describe Pride and Prejudice as a novel about the education of Elizabeth Bennett?
Justify your answer.
Justify your answer.
I think to an extent but it is equally about the education of Mr. Darcy.
Pride and Prejudice's driving force is the marriage of the Bennet sisters. But Elizabeth Bennet's strong personality soon takes centre stage and she drives most of the story. However, she is not without flaws herself. She prides herself on her ability to analyze other people, but is often mistaken in her conclusions about their motivations. This can be seen to a small extent in her subtle admonishment of her friend Charlotte Lucas for marrying for security and not love and to a large extent in her treatment of and attitude towards Wickham and Darcy. With reference to Charlotte, she is surprised at her for accepting Mr Collins' proposal purely on the basis of security, but later comes to realise how matters like these are ultimately dependent on such societal factors and acceptability when Lydia elopes with Wickham and settlements are made to ensure Lydia's status in society via dowry payments. Elizabeth also realises the duplicity of men when the previously mentioned elopment takes place instigated by the charming Mr Wickham whose real intent is revealed in this very act and his demand for payment to keep the marriage with Lydia intact. Finally, she realises the importance of unspoken love and not making snap judgements about a person when she finds out that Darcy, the person whom she was "determined to hate" was in fact the savior of her family who had suffered at the hands of Wickham (and not the other way round as stated by Wickham) and kept up the honor of her family. In the novel this education of Elizabeth Bennet ends on a happy note with all her marriagable sisters in situations befitting them and a wiser, more mature Elizabeth herself in a happy relationship with Darcy.