Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, is in conflict with society. She is an independent, freethinking, and opinionated young woman in a time when women were supposed to be subjective, agreeable, and followers. Throughout the play she displays characteristics that separate her from what is expected by society, from her argumentative conversations with Mr. Darcy, her decisions to say no to several marriage proposals, and her overall quick-wit and cleverness. However, these admirable qualities also plague her. She finds herself the victim of harsh judgments by society, she misjudges those who aren't that bad, and suffers from trying to fit into a society that she doesn't want to fit into. These conflicts make Elizabeth Bennet one of the most well known characters in literature.
The opening quote of Pride and Prejudice is known by almost everyone, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." This is the society in which Pride and Prejudice is set's opinion. Elizabeth Bennet however, counteracts that universally acknowledged truth. She looks beyond money and looks, and focuses instead on one's attitude, integrity, and overall personality. It is this form of analysis that she makes, that separates her from the rest of her society and puts her at conflict with them. When she is proposed to and does not accept the proposal of Mr. Collins, many, most notably her mother, are astonished. Mr. Collins would have been able to provide for her, and she was getting older and wouldn't be a desirable marital match for much longer, however, Elizabeth's distinct distaste for society allows her to make this decision. This action is just one in many that distinguishes her from society and puts her at conflict with those who strictly follow society's rules.
Another attribute of Elizabeth Bennet that puts her at conflict with society is her argumentative side. From her very first meeting with Mr. Darcy, a man who all other females at the time would have done anything to please, Elizabeth is very cold towards him. She sees him as a stuffy, pretentious, unkind man of whom she'd be better off without. Her cold treatment of him continues throughout the novel despite society's expectations (and the reader's knowledge that the two are perfect for each other.) When Mr. Darcy first attempts to entice Elizabeth, and claims to have found himself inexplicably drawn towards her, she does what society finds unthinkable; she turns him down. She is harsh and judges quickly and is above all argumentative, all of which are not admirable traits of young women in the time specified.
It can therefore be construed, that Elizabeth is in constant conflict with society, whether she's disregarding her mother's desires for her to be wed, arguing with the extremely eligible Mr. Darcy, or turning down suitable marriage proposal after suitable marriage proposal, Elizabeth never fully conforms with society's expectations. Although she does in the end marry Mr. Darcy, her perfect match, she ends up a Mrs. Darcy after following her own path full of mistrust, prejudices, and above all arguments. So although she does end up doing what society expects of her, she does it in a way that is extremely adverse to what society expects. It is Elizabeth's strong-willed character that regardless of what she does, puts her in a constant conflict with society in Pride and Prejudice.
