33
b. The True Meaning of Elizabeth’s Struggle
This part continues the discussion about the meaning of Elizabeth’s
struggle in solving her life problems. Elizabeth Bennet has to face some conflicts dealing with Caroline Bingley, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Wickham, and Lady de Bourgh. In
the literal meaning part, the writer wrote that Elizabeth’s struggle is that she has to
stay strong when high class people threaten her badly and she needs to keep seeking the truth until she finds the right answers to solve her conflicts.
In Jane Aus ten’s Pride and Prejudice, there are continuous class
differences present, and also the struggles between those different classes. This is very natural because according to Eagleton 1976, who states that
“the social mentality of an age is conditioned by that ages social relations. This is nowhere
quite as evident as in the history of art and literature. ” p. 5 Class difference
occurs when Caroline Bingley starts to consider Elizabeth Bennet as a woman from lower class society. It can be seen from Caroli
ne Bingley’s statement towards Elizabeth Bennet,
“To walk three miles. . . above her ancles in dirt, and alone . . . [i]t seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited
independence” Pride Prejudice, p. 33. However, it shows that Elizabeth is not only strong but also independent. Furthermore, she is also mocked by higher class
people in the society. It indicates that she also becomes a threat to them through her independence. Thus, it
shows Elizabeth Bennet’s struggle, which is the fact that she can survive and show that she is a strong and independent woman though
the high class people in the society oppress her.
34 Although social class conflicts come up in Pride and Prejudice, the most
important conflict is the conflict between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Their class differences are the main reason for Mr. Darcy
’s disability to form any serious affection to Elizabeth. Nevertheless, he actually begins to fall in love with her
although their different classes cause a great difficulty to him. When he proposes to her, he does it in a manner which is highly offensive, as shown in the following
utterance, “could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections?
To congratulate myself on the hope of relations, whose conditions in life are so decidedly below my own?” Pride Prejudice, p.159. Elizabeth turns him down
and does not change her mind until she visits Pemberley, Darcy’s great estate in
Derbyshire. In fact, Mr. Darcy has changed his personality after he eliminates his pride. It is presented in his well-
mannered behavior to Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle, which makes Elizabeth starts to feel regret. Elizabeth behaves
badly to Mr. Darcy because both of them do not trust each other and maintain their pride.
Class difference is the core of the conflict between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and it also becomes a conflict between them.
Then, Elizabeth’s social action happens in order to solve the conflict. The conflict occurs because of the
pride, prejudice, and love between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. The pride and the power from Mr. Darcy make Elizabeth behave badly to him from the
beginning until the conflict between them are solved. This fact is supported by Collins 1974
stating, “coercion and the ability to “force” others to behave a certain way are the
primary basis of conflict” p.56. Elizabeth is forced to dislike
35 Mr. Darcy because of his pride and arrogance. However, she struggles to find out
the truth. Elizabeth keeps seeking the truth and struggles to find the right answers to solve her conflict, although she is forced to behave in a certain way by Mr.
Darcy. One more conflict that Elizabeth has to face is the conflict between her and
Lady de Bourgh. As a person from high class society, Lady de Bourgh uses her power to oppress Elizabeth and make Elizabeth obey her order. She says,
“And will you promise me, never to enter into such an engagement?” Pride and
Prejudice , p.285. Lady de Bourgh
’s power to oppress others is one of the types of power. It is coercion:
the “final” form of power, where the powerless are forced to obey the powerful C. Wright Mills 1962. However, Elizabeth struggles not
to obey Lady d e Bourgh’s order because she has been insulted by Lady de
Bourgh. Elizabeth feels that they are the same human being and she does not want to be oppressed by people from high class society. She shows her struggle in order
not to be oppressed anymore, so that she can maintain her pride and right. Thus, the true meaning of Elizabet
h’s struggle is the fact that she does not want to be under-controlled by the powerful people in the society and that she can overcome
her conflicts in the right ways.
3. The Struggle of the Bennet Family
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