A prejudice for ‘Pride’

MANILA, Philippines - It was a purple book. The cover was a little glossy, with an illustration of a man and a woman in outdated clothes. The fancy font said: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

I was in fourth grade when I picked it up amid the rows of books in National Book Store. At the time, it was rare for me to choose anything other than Sweet Valley  books.  Until now, I don’t recall what pulled me away from the famous twins. Although, I do remember that at that point, I wanted to expand my reading skills.  A child’s pride, what can you do?

From the world of blue-eyed blondes and middle school problems, I was transported to a time of war. However, you hardly notice it because Austen diverts your attention to what others may deem mundane, but essentially just as important: society, family, and love.

Unlike the great novels of Charles Dickens or Victor Hugo, Pride and Prejudice doesn’t tell the story of any great event in history. It doesn’t feature a battle, famine, or a significant assassination. Instead, it shows you people.

I think this was the beginning of my fascination with history. Or at least, what made me start reading historical books.

Austen introduced me to ordinary people, not queens or martyred heroes. In Pride and Prejudice, I met people who dreamt of getting married, people who looked to better themselves, and even people who deceived others for personal gain. Not that much different from our present time, actually.

This made me realize that we’re not so different from 20, 30, or a hundred years before. It was these similarities, and even differences that made me appreciate history for what it was. A retelling of present times with a twist.

Ultimately, it made history more relatable. After all, have not we all met a social climber like Austen’s Mrs. Bennet? Or a poisonous viper like Lady Catherine? The main conflict itself is something I’m pretty sure everyone can connect with. Rash judgments laced with prejudice, and wrong actions caused by pride.

What struck me most about the story and why it became my favorite book is the heroine itself. Elizabeth Bennet is really a woman beyond her time. It was almost as if Austen took a peek at the 21st century and plucked one of the best examples from it.

Here was a girl who had strong opinions and stood for them. Here was a girl who would not be pressured by society, or even her family, into doing what was deemed to be “the right decision.” Most of all, here was a girl who made mistakes and admitted them.

You won’t find her jumping from cliffs when her heart is broken, I can assure you.

This is surprising, especially when you consider that she came from a time when women were treated like cattle and when marriage was supposed to be a woman’s crowning achievement.

Here, my admiration transfers back to Jane Austen for pushing the envelope of her time’s tolerance of women’s independence.  In doing so, she gave me a character to admire. She gave me a story to read again and again.

There is no doubt that this book has influenced me since I first laid eyes on it at the age of 12. My principle on making my own decisions in all the aspects of my life certainly came from this. I found that the best way to avoid regrets in your choices is to make them yourself.

Much like Elizabeth Bennet’s decision not to marry her cousin or to decline Lady Catherine’s offer, decisions are almost always met with objections. I cannot count the times that I had to fight for or defend my decisions to others.

This principle has shaped my life and has allowed me to accept the mistakes I’ve made. I made the choice, I accept the consequences. That is one of the mottos I live with. Essentially, Pride and Prejudice has also given me hope. There is hope, that when you do make a mistake, you can right it. You can misjudge someone but eventually see the truth. You can still have that happy ending.

This particular happy ending is something to aspire to. Some villains were put in their places, the good people reaped their rewards, and the heroine was able to make up for her misdeeds.

I’d like to think I could be this heroine. I could be this strong, this intelligent, and this humble. I like to think that I am already on the path towards having similarities with Elizabeth Bennet and that sooner or later, I will have her ending as well.

After all, we do have the same name.

THIS WEEK’S WINNER

Anne Elizabeth Sio is a graduate of BA Organizational Communication from the University of the Philippines Manila. She is the second of her parent’s four children and is currently working in Makati. She is  a writer and blogger. She is one novel short of reading all of Jane Austen’s works and still prefers a pen over Microsoft Word.