COVE

Intro: Elizabeth Bennet isn’t what you’d call a “party girl.” She’s far more at home with a book in hand or on a long walk than she is in a crowded ballroom. Still, under Mrs. Bennet’s determined matchmaking agenda, Elizabeth is pushed into the very social world she’d rather avoid. Pride and Prejudice (1813) places her at countless gatherings where appearances matter, at least to her mother, and where Elizabeth’s own indifference to such performances sets her apart. These events are also where she first encounters Mr. Darcy, who famously labels her “tolerable,” a moment that shapes much of their early dynamic. I wanted to do a portrait silhouette that explored her appearance at parties specifically and showed the stark contrast between what her mother wanted to be and who she really felt comfortable being.

Silhouette of Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, by Jadyn Heselton, 2025. My silhouette depicts Elizabeth Bennet with her iconic low bun, the one she usually wears when she is comfortable, and it’s her go to. She is surrounded by Regency blue flowers and pearls, representing the pins that were in Keira Knightley’s hair in Pride and Prejudice (2005), while having a ruffled border like the bodice of her party dress. She is surrounded by things that would be considered “womanly” or “proper,” yet she would rather dress in a simple brown frock and a low bun, enjoying other things rather than obsessing over her appearance. 

Students Watching a Printing Demonstration, Photograph by Catherine Golden, 2025. For my Elizabeth Bennet silhouette, I started by watching Dr. Golden’s demonstration of the printing machine, but since I’m not the most tech-savvy, I skipped the digital route and drew the silhouette by hand instead. I knew I wanted to include pearls like Elizabeth’s hairpins in the 2005 film, and Regency blue, a color I always associate with her. Working alongside my classmates made the process really fun, even though I struggled at first with painting tiny blue flowers without a small enough brush. After getting a finer brush, I fixed them up as best I could. The hardest part came at the end, when I decided the silhouette needed a border. I bought sheer ribbon, hand-bunched it into frills, and glued it to the back of the frame with super glue, getting it all over my hands in the process! It took about an hour and a half and turned out a little uneven, but I was proud of the final result and definitely learned that hot glue is the better choice next time.

Hugh Thomson, "She is tolerable," for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813), 1894 Edition. This is an illustration of the first time the Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy meet at Meryton Hall. Elizabeth is sitting in earshot of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, when Mr. Darcy says, “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me” (Austen 13). This is a moment where Elizabeth’s looks are brought up, hurting her pride as he insults her. This insult starts their feud, as they both make assumptions about each other that will push them away from each other yet bring them closer at the end.

Collage of Three Images: 1. Joe Wright, Director, Elizabeth Reading, in Pride and Prejudice, 2005. This first image on the left is a picture of Elizabeth, though her clothes are a stark contrast to the ones worn at the ball. This time, her hair is fitted into a loose low bun, and her bangs are sideswept instead of meticulously curled. Her dress shows no signs of frills, favoring practicality rather than flamboyancy. It is also a deep brown, helping signify Lizzie’s love of the outdoors, as she is currently reading outside. She looks more comfortable, as this seems to be her in her most content, as opposed to the Netherfield Ball. Though her face looks more serious here, it is assumed that she is feeling the most like herself in this movie still.

                                        2. Joe Wright, Director, Netherfield Ball, in Pride and Prejudice, 2005. In this movie still (on the bottom), Elizabeth (Kiera Knightley) is at Meryton Townhall for a local ball, standing beside her sister Jane (Rosamund Pike) and her best friend Charlotte (Claudie Blakely). While not as high fashion as her Netherfield outfit, Elizabeth is still dressed up, wearing an emerald green dress, but she still dons her low bun, a practical way to keep her hair out of her face while dancing! Meryton Hall is way less formal, as it is focused on being just a fun get-together as opposed to Netherfield, which is more fancy and catered towards the upper class. She also seems to be content in this outfit as well, while still being dressed up.

                                           3. Joe Wright, Director, Netherfield Ball, in Pride and Prejudice, 2005. This is a picture (on the right) depicting Keira Knightley in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, specifically the Netherfield Ball, where she and Mr. Darcy dance together for the first time. It is clear that either her mother or her sister, Jane, put effort into her appearance, as she is wearing pearl pins, and her hair is tied up high and perfectly curled. This is definitely not the most comfortable that she’s felt in the novel, as she is in stuffy clothing, and she has to dance with someone she supposedly “despises.” This outfit isn’t an accurate representation of her; however, she has to keep an appearance up, especially to soothe her stressed out mother.