The conflicts - Pride and Prejudice

An internal conflict that takes place almost throughout the novel is when Elizabeth is fighting against her own feelings for Mr. Darcy. At first, she doesn’t like him at all due to his pride behavior, but also because of what he did to Mr. Wickham, or at least what Mr. Wickham told her that Mr. Darcy had done to him. However, after rejecting his proposal, she receives a letter from Mr. Darcy, which he pleads her to read. After reading the letter, she realizes that Mr. Wickham isn’t the man she thought he was and that Mr. Darcy only tried to protect his sister from Mr. Wickham, who wanted to escape with Miss Darcy just because she is rich. But still, Elizabeth is confused of her feelings because Mr. Darcy also confessed in the letter that he was the one that separated Mr. Bingley with her sister, but that was only owing to his thoughts that Jane didn’t love Mr. Bingley equally, and he didn’t want to see his best friend heartbroken. As much as Elizabeth dislikes Mr. Darcy, she is also starting to adore him because of the good man he has shown her that he is, not only to her but to everyone he cares about.

An external conflict is the fights between Elizabeth and her mother. In contrast to the internal conflict Elizabeth had about Mr. Darcy, this conflict is also happening over and over again. I personally believe that these fights are due to Elizabeth and her mothers’ different opinions about the society during the 18^th century, where the story takes place. Mrs. Bennet’s way of thinking is typical values people had this time, very old-fashioned. Elizabeth on the other hand, has a more modern way of thinking about the society, and she believes that a woman should have the same rights as the men have. Moreover that a woman should marry a man she truly loves and vice versa, and that money isn’t the main reason why people should get married, love is. Lastly, I think that Austen is criticizing the society she lived in, but through Elizabeth's opinions and values.