Jane Austen wrote nothing about the hair color of Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice (although she does have dark eyes), and was similarly silent about Darcy’s, Jane’s and Bingley’s barnetts, so where does this certainty come from?

A decidedly dark Elizabeth Bennet

Casting directors have seen it differently in the past. In the 1940 adaptation, Greer Garson’s Elizabeth has blonde hair, while Jane Bennet (Maureen O’ Sullivan) is a brunette. Also, in the 1980 series, Elizabeth Garvie has light brown hair and, again Jane’s (Sabina Franklin) hair is dark. However, from the 1995 BBC production the hair color has been fixed, as is evident in the 2005 movie and in the TV spin-off Lost in Austen.

Hair color is of course richly symbolic within our culture; blonde shades, like the color white, signify sexual and moral purity. Jane Bennet, for this reason, could never join the Pink Ladies. Also, blondeness – unfortunately for some (including me!) – still hasn’t lost its association with dumbness in our culture. Perhaps binding these together is our association of blondeness with childhood, puberty being the time when hair thickens and becomes darker.

Three Blonde Moments - A most definitely blonde Jane Bennet

Dark hair and features are of course more readily identified with moodiness, mystery and danger. It’s obvious, therefore, why it suits Elizabeth and Darcy’s fiery courtship. Perhaps it’s also considered more masculine. Andrew Davies did describe Elizabeth as something of a tomboy, because of her love of country walks, her very ‘unladylike’ habit of arguing with her superiors, and her willingness to get muddy. He said he thought it might be Jane Austen’s code for saying Elizabeth had lots of sexual energy (there he goes again!)

Tall, dark and handsome Mr Darcy

Dark hair is also symbolic of the generally more complex world of the adult. Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship is contradictory and complicated from the start. They both struggle to contain their emotions. Bingley and Jane’s relationship is far simpler. Theirs is such an innocent courtship that it’s hard to see it as adult at all. Bingley is indecisive and Jane is shy. Both are, of course, childlike traits.

The blonde and boyish Mr Bingley

In fact, it doesn’t take a major stretch of the imagination to see the relationships of Elizabeth and Jane, and Darcy and Bingley, as both containing Parent-Child elements. Elizabeth is both awed and saddened by the naivety of Jane’s worldview. She is like a parent with no way to protect her daughter from the cruelty of the adult world. Likewise, it’s only when Darcy ‘pretty much’ gives his permission for Bingley to marry Jane, that the former finally proposes. His words, therefore, must have carried greater authority than those of a typical friend. Moreover, despite trespassing on his younger friend’s hospitality at Netherfield, he speaks to Bingley with an abruptness that few friends would tolerate.

I’m sure there could be other reasons for the automatic way in which most of us associate Elizabeth and Darcy with dark hair and Jane and Bingley with blondeness, but these are what occurred to me. Did I miss any other hints in the book as to their appearance, or have we just filled in the gaps with our own cultural associations?

Lizzy

The ladies of Meryton eagerly await the arrival of eligible young men

In Pride and Prejudice, Mrs Bennet’s pursuit of advantageous marriages for her daughters is obsessive, unrelenting and often counter-productive. Mr. Bennet considers his wife’s schemes ridiculous, while Elizabeth has, of course, decided that she will marry only for love. Elizabeth, like the first-time reader of Pride and Prejudice, is shocked and saddened when Charlotte accepts Mr. Collins’ proposal:

[Elizabeth] had always felt that Charlotte’s opinion of matrimony was not exactly like her own, but she had not supposed it to be possible that, when called into action, she would have sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage. Charlotte the wife of Mr. Collins was a most humiliating picture! And to the pang of a friend disgracing herself and sunk in her esteem, was added the distressing conviction that it was impossible for that friend to be tolerably happy in the lot she had chosen.

Charlotte’s decision seems so extreme to modern readers of Pride and Prejudice, and Mrs Bennet’s obsession with marriage so irrational, but what was life like for unmarried ladies in the early 19th Century? What was the alternative to marrying an idiot? Did Mrs. Bennet – or even Charlotte Lucas – have a point?

Spinsterhood in Jane Austen’s Day

In 1787, 26 years before Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was published, Mary Wollstonecraft wrote about the degradations of life for so-called spinsters. In her ‘Thoughts on the Education of Daughters’ she explained:

Few are the modes of earning a subsistence, and those are very humiliating. Perhaps to be an humble companion to some rich old cousin, or what is still worse, to live with strangers, who are so intolerably tyrannical, that none of their relations can bear to live with them, though they should even expect a fortune in reversion. It is impossible to enumerate the many hours of anguish such a person must spend. Above the servants, yet considered by them a spy, and ever reminded of her inferiority when in conversation with the superiors. If she cannot condescend to mean flattery, she has not a chance of being a favorite; and should any of the visitors take notice of her, and she for a moment forget her subordinate state, she is sure to be reminded of it.

Painfully sensible of unkindness, she is alive to every thing, and many sarcasms reach her, which were perhaps directed another way. She is alone, shut out from equality and confidence, and the concealed anxiety impairs her constitution; for she must wear a cheerful face, or be dismissed. The being dependent on the caprice of a fellow-creature, though certainly very necessary in this state of discipline, is yet a very bitter corrective, which we would fain shrink from.

The other options for unmarried ladies, like the Bennet girls of Pride and Prejudice, that Mary Wollstonecraft spells out are becoming a teacher (who ‘is only a kind of upper servant, who has more work than the menial ones’) or becoming a governess. This, she says, is equally disagreeable. Furthermore, ‘The few trades which are left, are now gradually falling into the hands of men, and certainly they are not very respectable.’

Mrs Bennet gasps at Mr. Bennet's indifference

Does this alter your opinion of any of the characters in Pride and Prejudice, for example Mr or Mrs. Bennet, Charlotte Lucas or even Elizabeth? To my mind, it certainly makes Mrs. Bennet’s motivations clearer, even if we mock the ridiculous methods she employs in Pride and Prejudice. Also, Elizabeth’s rejection of Mr. Collins – and certainly her rejection of Mr. Darcy’s first proposal – appear even bolder than before. Perhaps Elizabeth Bennet was a rebel after all?

Wishing you all felicity in marriage,

Fitzwilliam Darcy

“In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

Elizabeth’s astonishment was beyond expression. She stared, coloured, doubted, and was silent. This he considered sufficient encouragement; and the avowal of all that he felt, and had long felt for her, immediately followed. He spoke well; but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed; and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority–of its being a degradation–of the family obstacles which had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.

In spite of her deeply-rooted dislike, she could not be insensible to the compliment of such a man’s affection, and though her intentions did not vary for an instant, she was at first sorry for the pain he was to receive; till, roused to resentment by his subsequent language, she lost all compassion in anger. She tried, however, to compose herself to answer him with patience, when he should have done. He concluded with representing to her the strength of that attachment which, in spite of all his endeavours, he had found impossible to conquer; and with expressing his hope that it would now be rewarded by her acceptance of his hand. As he said this, she could easily see that he had no doubt of a favourable answer. He spoke of apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real security. Such a circumstance could only exasperate farther, and, when he ceased, the colour rose into her cheeks, and she said…

So what exactly provoked Miss Elizabeth into replying with such incivility? Here are the most famous alternatives. Which do you find the most convincing, based on Mr Darcy’s character and the angry reaction it received from Lizzy?

The 2005 Pride and Prejudice Movie (screenplay by Deborah Moggach)

DARCY: Miss Elizabeth. I have struggled in vain and I can bear it no longer. These past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you. I had to see you. I have fought against my better judgement, my family’s expectation, the inferiority of your birth, my rank and circumstances – all these things -but I am willing to put them aside and ask you to end my agony

LIZZY: I don’t understand.

DARCY: I love you. Most ardently. Please do me the honor of accepting my hand.

The BBC Pride and Prejudice 1995 TV series (Screenplay by Andrew Davies)

DARCY: In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. In declaring myself thus I’m fully aware that I will be going expressly against the wishes of my family, my friends, and, I hardly need add, my own better judgement. The relative situation of our families is such that any alliance between us must be regarded as a highly reprehensible connection. Indeed, as a rational man I cannot but regard it as such myself, but it cannot be helped. Almost from the earliest moments of our acquaintance I have come to feel for you a passionate admiration and regard, which despite my struggles has overcome every rational objection, and I beg you, most fervently, to relieve my suffering and consent to be my wife.

1980 BBC Pride and Prejudice TV series (Screenplay by Fay Weldon)

DARCY: In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. In spite of all my endeavors, I have found it impossible to conquer the strength of my feelings. The inferiority of your family; the miserable connection; the degradation; the lack of judgement I display; the harshness by which I shall rightly be judged by my own family and connections – all these count as nothing. Even the damage, for damage it must be, to my sister, and the insult to Anne de Bourgh and her mother mean nothing to me in the face of my attachment to you, Miss Bennet. I have struggled greatly and endured great pain. I hope I will now be rewarded. Miss Bennet, will you accept my hand in marriage?

1940 Pride and Prejudice Movie (Screenplay by Aldous Huxley and Jane Murfin)

DARCY: It’s no use. I’ve struggled in vain. I must tell you how much I admire and love you. Miss Elizabeth, my life and happiness are in your hands. These last weeks since I left Netherfield have been empty, meaningless days and nights. I thought I could put you out of my mind, that inclination would give way to judgement.  I’ve walked the streets of London reminding myself of the unsuitability of such a marriage. The obstacles between us… but it won’t do. I can struggle against you no longer.

ELIZABETH: Mr. Darcy!

DARCY: I’ve reminded myself again and again that I have obligations of family and position, obligations I was born to. Nothing I tell myself matters. I love you. I love you.

ELIZABETH: Do you know what you’re saying?

DARCY: Yes, my darling. I’m asking you to marry me.

So there is is. For me, it’s a close-run contest between the 1980 and 1995 adaptations. I think the quality of the dialog in the 1995 version is the reason I hadn’t noticed that the speech isn’t actually in the book. For this reason, Pride and Prejudice 1995 just shades it for me. Please let me know what you think!

Your dearest friend,

Lizzy

Those who admire Elizabeth Bennet’s independent spirit have plenty of evidence in their favor. Elizabeth promises never to marry for money, despite the protestations of her mother when she refuses Mr. Collins’ proposal. She also refuses to be intimidated by Mr. Darcy, and in fact deliberately provokes him into arguments. Elizabeth gives her opinions forcefully to her father (who of course, often ignores them.) Again, strikingly, she addresses Lady Catherine de Bourgh politely but with assertion, giving her opinion ‘very decidedly for so young a person.’ Both of Elizabeth’s parents are in some way rebellious; Mr. Bennet, preferring to be alone, is largely uninterested in the conventions of polite society. Mrs. Bennet is simply oblivious to them. Elizabeth is acutely aware of her social surroundings and place in the world but, like her parents, remains somewhat detached. Her vehicle for dealing with society is neither the sarcasm of her father nor the vulgarity of her mother. She has her wit, which in its quickness, is the equal of anyone.

On the other hand, Elizabeth’s apolitical personality suggests she is not rebellious in the usual sense of the word. It should be said that all Jane Austen’s work has been criticized for ignoring the political context of her day. The Napoleonic Wars were killing people in unprecedented numbers and the modern world was rising rapidly, sweeping away all before it. Indeed, Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (1811) is often considered the first modern novel. The Darcys would have in all likelihood lived to see 1848, the year the Communist Manifesto was published. Elizabeth herself appears to take no interest in the turbulent world around her. The one character with anything to say about the horrible injustice of entailing property away from the female line is, of course, Mrs. Bennet. Elizabeth has nothing much to say on the subject, while Mrs. Bennet is dismissed for her ‘mean understanding’ and ‘illiberal mind.’

One of the reasons for uncertainty is that Elizabeth’s rebelliousness is never truly tested in the course of the novel. Mr. Collins is such a ridiculous character that Miss Bennet is shocked that ANYONE would consider accepting his proposal. Her reaction to Charlotte’s announcement that they will marry is to declare it ‘impossible.’ While she refuses to rule out marrying Wickham, who is without prospects, the choice never rises in reality. When Wickham transfers his affections to Miss King, Elizabeth is so gracious as to almost appear relieved! The ending is of course wonderfully convenient for Elizabeth. She promises to marry for love rather than money, and the story concludes with her finding the man she loves – who happens to be one of England’s richest men. Ultimately, her principles come at no cost.

Elizabeth appeals to our contrary desires to be well thought of by those around us, but also free from society’s restrictions and demands. She does not explicitly seek wealth, popularity or status, so cannot be accused of vanity, but nevertheless she is rewarded with all of these things. While Mrs. Bennet blames Elizabeth for putting off men with her forthright manners, we are blessed with a happy ending in which a woman finds love, fortune and happiness by being herself. I am not sure that Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s independence of mind runs as deeply as we’d like to think. Indeed, one of the reasons we love Pride and Prejudice is due to nostalgia for those wonderful manners that seem to belong to another world; we would be unlikely to warm to a character eager to tear it all down.

Please let us know your thoughts on this unforgivably provocative topic.

Your esteemed friend,

Fitzwilliam Darcy