Being Elizabeth In A Lydia World

Allow me to step on my literary soapbox for a moment. There are few books I really love, and even less of which I think well. The more I read in the literary world, the more I am dissatisfied with it. Too many pages are not worth the paper they’re printed on.

Pride and Prejudice is one of the few chick-lit books I feel comfortable reading. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen’s work is a classic of gigantic proportions. Countless writers have quoted Austen and attempted to mimic her style (as I unashamedly do now.)

However, it is not her style that brings me back for more Pride and Prejudice. The characters are what catch my imagination—notably that of Elizabeth Bennett. She’s been dubbed the best female character ever penned, but I think I’ve stumbled onto an overlooked truth about Miss Elizabeth: she is incomplete. It wasn’t Elizabeth’s sparkling personality that carried Austen’s book into history. She’s actually quite dull by herself. What made Elizabeth a superstar in classic literature was her foil.

A “foil” is a literary term meaning, “One that by contrast underscores or enhances the distinctive characteristics of another.” A foil is a character possessing traits that are opposite from the main character, therefore illuminating the main character’s fine qualities.

What immortal Jane Austen character have we forgotten? None other than Lydia Bennett. Wild, boisterous, flirtatious and immature—Elizabeth’s youngest sister is only remembered for being, well, horrible. We don’t like this character. To put it kindly, she’s annoying; but at the core, Lydia lacks modesty.

To some, “modesty” is another antiquated word from Austen’s era. To others, it may be commonly used but rarely understood. Properly defined, modesty is the special combination of unpretentiousness and discretion; it is a desire not to draw undue attention to self. Chew for a minute on what Webster’s 1828 states:

“…modesty springs no less from principle than from feeling, and is manifested by retiring, unobtrusive manners, assuming less to itself than others are willing to yield, and conceding to others are all due honor and respect, or even more than they expect or require….In females, modesty has the like character as in males; but the word is used also as synonymous with chastity, or purity of manners. In this sense, modesty results from purity of mind, or from the fear of disgrace and ignominy fortified by education and principle.”

What makes Elizabeth Bennett so special? Compared to her sister’s immodesty, we admire her self-control. She’s characterized by quiet good sense—not a desire to be noticed. Therefore, we notice her.

The contrast between Elizabeth and Lydia symbolizes the choice we must make. Modesty or flaunting? Humility or attention demanding? Which is adorned in “the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious?” (1 Peter 3:4) Most of all, which character am I? It’s a question for the heart---one I must bring to God daily—and the reason I keep coming back to Pride and Prejudice time and time again.

Part One/Part Two


Note: No, that deja-vu feeling doesn't mean you're crazy. This is a revised post from 2006.