Elizabeth is not a Bennet.
It’s a common, even favorite, trope in fanfiction. Elizabeth isn’t really a Bennet. But why do we
love it so much?
Elizabeth and Jane, to most readers, stand out among their sisters. They are the most
rational and level-headed, they don’t embarrass the family in public, they conduct themselves
like young ladies should. Are they perfect? No, of course not. We all know some of their
personal weaknesses. Nevertheless, they stand out among the Bennets as being generally
admired and well-liked, and they ultimately win the hearts of the two most eligible gentlemen
to visit Meryton over the course of the book.
The other sisters leave something to be desired. Kitty and Lydia’s nonstop flirtation can be as
irritating as Mary’s moral pronouncements, and Mr. Bennet’s lackadaisical management of his
family and Mrs. Bennet’s silliness highlight how different Elizabeth and Jane are.
Is this, perhaps, why we like to imagine that Elizabeth is somehow better than or different
than the rest of the Bennets?
This may be part of it, but we as readers also love to see Darcy get his comeuppance for how
he thinks of Elizabeth and her family until Hunsford. I think that may be an even bigger reason
that this scenario is so popular among JAFF readers.
Darcy proposes insultingly to Elizabeth, making it clear that he considers her below him. Little
does he know that he’s proposing to a duke’s daughter, or his own wealthy cousin, or perhaps
a rich heiress in her own right! A long-lost daughter of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, or maybe a
kidnapped daughter of an earl! A Spanish princess or a distant claimant to the English throne!\
It’s a tantalizing fantasy. Just how humbled will Darcy feel when he realizes who he insulted,
who he claimed was beneath him?
Of course, maybe he doesn’t even make it all the way to that rude proposal. Maybe he
proposes a different sort of relationship than marriage, or maybe he doesn’t propose at all,
thinking her too far beneath him. Won’t he feel the fool when he discovers who she was? This
can be a particularly fun twist, because if he proposes *now*, it will look as if he only brought
himself to propose because he knew she was worthy of him.
Personally, I think it’s even more fun when other detractors like Caroline Bingley and Louisa
Hurst discover just who Elizabeth really is. Whether they scream, throw ornaments—a
favorite Caroline habit among JAFF writers—or start toadying up to Elizabeth, it can be
entertaining to see their response when the tables are turned and Elizabeth is suddenly much
higher ranked than they are.
At the same time, part of the charm of the original Elizabeth Bennet is found in exactly who
she is: a country gentleman’s daughter, not remarkably talented or wealthy, but who has that
special something that catches the eye of a man who seems to have everything. Even
Elizabeth’s rejection of Darcy carries more weight when she has something real to
lose—likely the best match, in terms of wealth, connections, and security, that she’s ever
likely to be offered.
Does making Elizabeth not a Bennet undermine that?
There may be some people who would say yes, who dislike this trope entirely. But that’s the
beauty of fanfic. Not everybody will like every twist. Authors are free to be creative, and
readers are free to try any story that interests them, and have no obligation to read the ones
that don’t!
While I love Pride and Prejudice just as it is, and I think that Elizabeth’s real situation among
the Bennets provides the most powerful basis for the plot, I love this trope. It’s fun to explore
what-ifs, and “What if Elizabeth was better-connected than Darcy realized?” is a really fun
one. Not only does it give great opportunities for angst and misunderstanding between them,
but it can give Wickham an extra reason to make trouble, and it can also lead to competition
for Darcy when other suitors vie for Elizabeth’s hand!
What do you think? Is this your favorite trope? Least favorite trope? What books (if any) have you
adored with this concept, and what do you think made you love them so much?
11 comments
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My favorite is Elizabeth is not a Bennet and/ or not a Thomas and Fanny Bennet. I also love the ‘soul mates’ troupe.
I’m a big fan of Elizabeth is not a Bennet trope.
Most times, she ends up more highly, connected, wealthy…
But for me it’s because it makes the story more drama driven without the usual Lydia/Wickham, or Darcy’s endless self reflections on anything to do with himself and./or Elizabeth.
I think it would be fun to imagine that Lizzie is her Aunts (Mrs Gardiners) illegitimate daughter. She had to give her up to the Bennets to avoid scandal but has remained close to her and that’s why they eventually pay off Wickham debts because she is infact their own daughter. lizzie is much more like her aunt than any of her family. This actuallywould made sense.
I do like this trope! But I also prefer he proposes before he knows as, for me, it just adds to show his depth of affection. And I prefer the Bennets have better connections or even E being kidnapped vs her marrying first to gain the fortune or connections. Melanie Rachel’s I Never Knew Myself is a good one, as well as her Christmas Heiress (D does meet E post heiress). I also like All That This Entails by Noell Chesney. I am sure there are others, but those are the ones that have stuck more with me.
I may be in the minority here, but I am not a fan of this particular trope as, however much Darcy loves Elizabeth, I have a hard time envisioning him getting past her possibly being illegitimate, a Duke’s daughter or not. Just my $.02
“Mistaken Premise” by Cherith Boardman IMHO is one of the very best of the “Elizabeth is not a Bennet” trope. This story covers her idyllic childhood, her treatment by the Netherfield residents, the unveiling of her true (close to the royals) status, her treatment at the hands of a villain, her ascension to her elevated title, and Darcy’s later prominent role in her life. The Bingley’s were never able to recover from their missteps which I loved! Read it—you won’t be sorry!
Actually, as a gentleman’s daughter, Elizabeth and all of her sisters, are ranked higher in the british society of 1810.
I only like this trope if Darcy proposes and Elizabeth rejects him before both know she’s not a Bennet, because only if she’s beneath him the proposal scene perfectly shows the strength of his feelings and that she’s the opposite of mercenary.
I like the trope as long as I don’t read too many of them back to back. Some of my favorites are the rare storylines when Elizabeth may still be a Bennet but has better connections through one of the sisters that may not be al Bennet or may have married into connections. Think that is more creative and sneaky.😉 However, I think the reason P&P have stood the test of time is because Jane got it right in humbling Darcy AND Elizabeth. Authors of JAFF all too often, in my opinion, make a Super, Perfect Elizabeth. Jane did not write her that way and I much prefer that Elizabeth. My favorite trope is a continuation after they are married and the obstacles they encountered to develop into true partners. Darcy learning to give up some of his vaunted control and Elizabeth doing more than hosting & decorating. You know she had to have made some blunders as mistress in the beginning at least.
This is my favorite trope.
I personally think these stories are fun. However, there is something even more appealing in the original story line. Darcy learns to be a better man once he has been turned down. And when he remeets Lizzy, he has learned that she is worth her weight in gold, in spite of her poor connections, vulgar family and practically zero dowry. Therein lies the merit in Darcy, and the merit in the love story.