by Raizsa-Daphne Benosa

Created on: October 26, 2009   Last Updated: October 27, 2009

The movie is based on Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice. The Bennets, the main characters in the movie, would only wish one thing for their five daughters - Jane, Lizzy, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia - and that is for all five to find a husband from a good family and of good wealth, except for Mr. Bennet, who is not as ecstatic about the idea as Mrs. Bennet. So here comes Mr. Bingley, his sister, and Mr. Darcy, whose arrival reached the ears of good old Mrs. Bennet. As expected, she plotted for Mr. Bingley to like her eldest and most beautiful Jane. This scenario gives us a hint of how women were regarded by the community at that time. It reminds us of the time that women's sole purpose is to be a good wife to a husband, when parents had the biggest say in picking who is fitting to their child. Austen described the setting as aristocratic to depict the kind of society the author herself lived in. Most of the time, the heroines in Austen's novels would relate to her and the kind of society she dealt with when she was growing up, which became concrete in the creation of Elizabeth Bennet's character in the movie and novel.

Elizabeth Bennet is characterized as witty, intelligent, deep, independent but could get pretty judgmental.

Contrary to Jane Bennet, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet did not like the idea of arranged marriage, although she has nothing against her sister marrying Mr. Bingley as she eventually finds Jane in love with him. This character would often judge other people, most especially a man, based on first impressions and usually encounters difficulty on changing that impression as she considers her judgments accurate. Her impression of Mr. Darcy was nothing near prudence which caused conflict to spark between the two. As events of the story became more and more complicated, circumstances made them meet several times in unexpected places and situations, until Lizzy and Mr. Darcy found themselves drawn to each other. Lizzy, in the end, gave up her wrong first impressions of the man as the events proved that first impressions are not always right.

The movie and the novel itself is a depiction of the upbringing of 19th century families which the Austen tried to insert a little romance for a little excitement. It cannot be denied, however, that Austen and Lizzy Bennet share the same characteristics, in a way.

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