Page 55 - Middle Georgia State University - Knighted 2019

makes sense to protect a friend from a potential life of unhappiness. Thus, she removes the blame
from Mr. Darcy and must lay it on her own family.

After receiving Mr. Darcy’s letter, Elizabeth behaves differently around her family due to
her new awareness. When Lydia receives the invitation from Mrs. Forster to accompany the
regiment to Brighton, Elizabeth attempts to convince Mr. Bennet not to allow Lydia to go
because Lydia will shame the family:

Our respectability in the world, must be affected by the wild volatility, the assurance and
disdain of all restraint which mark Lydia’s character.…If you, my dear father, will not
take the trouble of checking her exuberant spirits…she will soon be beyond the reach of
amendment…can you suppose it possible that [Lydia and Kitty] will not be censured and
despised wherever they are known, and that their sisters will not be often involved in the
disgrace? (201-202)
This scene shows a determination in Elizabeth about her family that she has not shown before.
Her concern has been roused by Mr. Darcy’s letter, and she is willing to risk disagreeing with her
father because of it. She shows much more concern for the Bennet reputation because she is now
aware of how it has hurt Jane’s prospects of finding a happy marriage. If not for Mr. Darcy’s
letter, Elizabeth might have remained passive and contented with her family reputation.
The most notable change in Elizabeth’s opinions, however, is seen in her change of mind
about Mr. Wickham. Previously, she pardoned him for pursuing Mary King in the hopes of
money despite almost ceasing her friendship with Charlotte for doing the same thing: “[Mr.
Wickham] was the admirer of some one else…The sudden acquisition of ten thousand pounds
was the most remarkable charm of the young lady to whom he was now rendering himself
agreeable; but Elizabeth, less clear sighted perhaps in his case than Charlotte’s, did not quarrel

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