Comparative Analysis of Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Bovary Essay

Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Bovary are two of the most famous literature female protagonists of the 19th century. They are both known for their strong personalities and beautiful physical appearances. Elizabeth Bennett is the beautiful young heroine in Jane Austen’s well known romantic novel Pride and Prejudice while Emma Bovary is Gustave Flaubert’s protagonist in the much controversial French novel Madame Bovary. These two novels include two of the most talked about female protagonists in English Literature. Despite the two characters’ distinguished characteristics and principles, there are remarkable similarities in their stories’ settings and social situation. Comparison between Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Bovary The comparison between Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Bovary is not merely limited to the physical appearances but also to the extent of their social status and role as women. Both Bennett and Bovary live in a setting when social status is considered a basic need of an individual. It is noticeable that both Pride and Prejudice and Madame Bovary include the setting of a gathering or a ball where people of high status gather and meet. In Pride and Prejudice, the story starts off in a ball where Elizabeth Bennett meets the seemingly proud and cold Fitzwilliam Darcy. Pride and Prejudice is one of the most popular novels written by Jane Austen which was first published in 1813. It is more than a story of love which revolves around the lives of the Bennett family and the wealthy male visitors of Hertfordshire. The wide variety of personalities in the story contributed to the novel’s attractive and compelling features to date. In this regard, Elizabeth Bennett’s character speaks much of a strong personality which is extremely opinionated and bold. Unlike her younger sisters, she does not allow social status and wealth to interfere with her standards for love. However, in her statement, prejudices toward Darcy are evident for she has already judged him without knowing him well first. However, at the end of the story, she regrets having misjudged the man upon knowing the real Fitzwilliam Darcy. Thoroughly reviewing the whole context of the story, the diverse personalities of the characters are what made it possible to arrive in a certain character transformation. Each character is provided a characteristic that is distinct to other characters. Elizabeth Bennett, an interesting character indeed, possesses traits which are very much different from her sisters. Here is one of her statements to Darcy included in Chapter 19 where she rejects him the first time he proposed to marry her and considered to be one of her most famous line which establishes her personality as a dignified woman: I do assure you, Sir, that I have no pretension whatever to that kind of elegance which consists in tormenting a respectable man. I would rather be paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank you again and again for the honor you have done me in your proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible. My feelings in every respect forbid it. Can I speak plainer? Do not consider me now as an elegant female, intending to plague you, but as a rational creature, speaking the truth from her heart (Austen 97). Meanwhile, Emma Bovary represents the immaturity that Elizabeth Bennett least possessed. Bovary is portrayed as a woman who is fond of romantic novels and hopes despairingly for a magical romance. With this mindset, she resorts to adultery upon getting bored with the kindhearted but dull husband, Charles Bovary. In Chapter 9, Flaubert describes Bovary’s disgust and resentment towards the tiny details of their worn-out kitchen: Mealtime was the worst of all in that tiny room on the ground floor, with the smoking oven, the creaking door, the damp walls, and the moist flagstones; all the bitterness of her existence seemed to be served up to her on her plate, and the steam from the boiled beef brought up waves of nausea from the depths of her soul. It took Charles a long time to eat; she would nibble a few hazelnuts, or leaning on her elbow, would assume herself by drawing lines on the oilcloth with the tip of her knife (Flaubert 81-82). The way Flaubert presented the kitchen in Bovary’s eyes; it becomes clear that Bovary feels trapped in the duties of domesticity. She longs for something more than being just a housewife which is why she engages in extramarital affairs with wealthier men because she thinks she can achieve such imaginary romance by staying with a rich man. Clearly, this premise is very contradictory with Elizabeth Bennett’s principles. Despite their similar poor status in the society, Bennett is more satisfied with her life than Bovary. Bennett accepts the life she is living and does not immediately grants Darcy’s marriage proposal for the sake of wealth and status. It is true, though, that Bovary and Bennett have their similar standards for love. Even Bennett dreams of the man whom she would love dearly however, the difference is Bennett is rational and is willing to wait. On the contrary, Bovary is more impulsive in her decisions that her efforts are mostly in vain. Conclusion There are many similarities and differences between the characters of Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Bovary. Both women live with poor social status in the society which is the very reason of the conflicts in their love stories. However, it is important to note that despite their similar poor situations, their stories end up differently. Bovary’s end becomes tragic while Bennett lives the fulfilled life. The reason for these endings is dependent on the personal characteristics and attitudes of the two women towards poverty. Clearly, between the two heroines, it is Bennett’s dignified principles and rational thinking that earned her the much favorable ending than Bovary’s. Works Cited Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice: A Novel. London: R. Bentley. 1853. Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary. Trans. Mildred Marmur, Evelyn Gendel. New York: Signet Classic, 2001.