Lizzy is my hero!

I am a Jane Austen fan and I've probably watched Pride & Prejudice like oh, maybe ___ many times. I'm really not sure how many times, but it's been a lot!

I was thinking about a scene in the story when Lizzy (Elizabeth Bennet) is visiting her cousin Mr. Collins and her friend Charlotte. They visit the very rich and controlling Lady Catherine de Bourgh (I'm going to refer to her as Catherine). As they are all sitting around during their first visit, it is obvious that Catherine wants to run the show. It's almost like she wants to talk and think for everyone in the room and she does not want to be confronted. But Lizzy, who is secure in who she is, doesn't allow Catherine to control her. Lizzy speaks her mind and Catherine is shocked and says, "Upon my word, you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person..." After this remark, the book says:

Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer; and Elizabeth (Lizzy) suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence.

When I watch that part in the movie, I get all excited and I cheer Lizzy on because she's not allowing Catherine to control her or to allow her to be who Catherine wants her to be. Lizzy is secure enough in herself where she's not intimidated by Catherine. When Lizzy speaks to Catherine during this time, you see the reactions on the faces of Mr. Collins and Charlotte. Mr. Collins looks shocked/scared and Charlotte looks like she is saying, "You go girl!"

Catherine looks like she has it all, she has money, a mansion, servants, control, but what she doesn't have is security in herself. And because she doesn't have that security (which I believe only comes from God), she doesn't want to allow others to be themselves. I think she's scared to allow others to be themselves because maybe she fears they won't like her if she stopped controlling them. No matter, she's controlling because she feels something in her life is out of control. (That is what has happened to me around the holidays...things were crazy and out of control, so I tried to control)

I feel for Catherine, I really do.

In the movie, after the conversation with Lizzy, Catherine begins to pick on Mr. Collins and Charlotte again. And then she turns back toward Lizzy and makes this really ugly, grinch-like face. It's not a pretty picture! I believe she's making the ugly face because she realizes that she will not be able to control Lizzy like she can control the others. Lizzy will not allow herself to be pushed around by Catherine. She will not allow Catherine to define her or tell her how to talk, act, live, etc.

Lizzy is my hero!

And that's all I have to say about that.