Elizabeth Bennet

Elizabeth Bennet was not a tomboy. being able to walk three miles on her own does not make her a tomboy. just because she couldn't play the piano like a proper lady does not mean she was a tomboy. little girls are tomboys, grown women are not. i say this because i read a synopsis of the new Pride and Prejudice movie that is coming out staring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet. her character was described as tomboyish and this ticked me off. she was a woman, the only one of her kind and it irritates me that she is characterized by a word that is used in reference to children. she had wit and class enough. she had grace, something even Mr. Darcy noticed, although against his will. she was a woman. and i sincerely hope that the Elizabeth Bennet of this new film stays true to Jane Austen's heroine.

i could never understand why independent women are always associated with masculinity. men are men and women are women. just because there are females out there that are strong doesn't mean they are more like a man; and the same goes for men: just because a male behaves less like society claims a man should behave doesn't mean he is more like a woman. to me, regardless of behavior, a man is a man and a woman is a woman.

i suppose that is why i never really agreed with those who advocated equality for women. why would i want to be equal to a man? i can be just as strong as he and still be proud to be a woman without having to be treated equally. in fact, it is woman's inferior position that leads her to overcome everyone's expectations and be great. why would i want to be equal to a man? we are not judged by the same qualities, so trying to treat us equally would be incongruous. its not so much about equality as it is about respect and common sense. i know my place as a nineteen-year-old girl, but that does not mean i will stand for being spoken down to by a man or any person who thinks i am ignorant. i want respect, same as anyone else. not respect equal to anyone else because some people earn more respect than others, but i want what is mine, i want my share, it doesn't necessarily have to be equal to anyone else's. does that make sense? is it wrong not to want to be equal to a man? is it wrong to be a woman who knows her place and won't ask for anything more? if you are unhappy with your lot, then too bad. its called life. and misery these days can be made to be beautiful.

if you want to change what you are given in pursuit of happiness, then you can because of your freewill. but happiness is a fickle thing just like luck and love and hope and other words like these that people speak so nobly. if you want to change what you are given to make a difference, then you can, but what would making a difference matter in a world full of differences? if you're going to fight for more aid to poor countries, don't call it making a difference and don't call it rebelling. call it compassion. call it mercy. call it conscience. i don't want to hear about "making a difference". that's the kind of thing selfish people say to garner the respect they don't deserve. and it doesn't mean anything to those of us who know what tragedies differences can bring.