"A lady should be quiet in her manners, natural and unassuming in her language, careful to wound no one's feelings, but giving generously and freely from the treasures of her pure mind to her friends. Scorning no one openly, she should feel gentle pity for the unfortunate, the inferior and the ignorant, at the same time carrying herself with an innocence and single heartedness which disarms ill nature, and wins respect and love from all." (Victorian Station Online)
             This a description of what a proper lady was expected to act like during the times in which the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was written. Women were expected to be passive and be consistently compassionate and understanding. The novel, which deals with the upper class during the 1800's, contains a diverse collection of characters that posses various personalities –from the balanced to the ridiculous. The main character, Ms. Elizabeth Bennet, may at first glance seem to posses somewhat typical characteristics and behaviors of her time and class, but at a closer examination, one will find that she possesses a very unusual personality for her time, because she at times completely rejects the expectations of her by others, she has different views on marriage, she has intelligence and wit, and she has independence which set her apart from those around her.
             Marriage is an important topic covered extensively within the book, especially for the female characters as is evident from the very first lines of the novel, "it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" (Austen 3). Marrying into a family with fortune was the up most priority of many women, particularly those women who came from more meager backgrounds. For these women love was hardly a consideration in choosing a husband; it was about securing their future. Charlotte Lucas, who is described as being plain and does not ha...