1. Introduction

1.1 Research background

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was one of the most widely read and most beloved writers in English literature and one of the most influential women writers in the history of world literature. Rrank Oconnor (2012) holds that Austen is one of the greatest novelists, and Thomas Macauley (1996) calls her Shakespeare. Austen#8217;s works often mock at people, stupid, selfish, snobbish, blindly confident and of other ridiculous weakness through the comic scenes. The most famous works are Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, etc.

Pride and Prejudice is the earliest work of Jane Austen#8217;s, named First Impression and completed in 1797. The novel arouses great concern when it comes out and becomes one of the most favorite novels at that time. Pride and Prejudice, not only a miracle of English literature but also the treasure of world literature, is listed as one of ten classic novels in the world by Maugham. Recently, British broadcasting company has conducted a poll among readers, requesting that they should choose one literary work which has a great impact on women and changes their view on the world. As a result, Pride and Prejudice has been voted as the greatest influence on female literature. Moreover, this story was shot into films, such as Pride and Prejudice (1995) directed by Colin Firt, Pride and Prejudice (2005) directed by Mattew Macfadyen, etc.

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1.2 Need of the study

Feminism usually means movements for the recognition of women#8217;s equal rights, legal, political, familial, etc. It is not easy for us to identify the origin of feminism, but it is mostly found in the English speaking countries. Later, it enjoys popularity among French, China, etc.

Although many scholars have conducted plenty of researches about feminism (Qi 2010; Du 2012; Li 2014), the consciousness of feminism hasn't been pervasively accepted all over the world. In Shandong, China, men and women can not sit at the same table for dinner on New Year's Eve or entertaining the guests. In Japan, men don't take women's suggestions into consideration when making decisions. What's worse, although everyone knows women#8217;s rights and interests, some violent events such as raping, maltreatment of the wife and children are common in today's life . Therefore, it is vital to analyze Elizabeth#8217;s feminist consciousness in Pride and Prejudice. Through comparing Elizabeth with other characters, we can understand the development of feminism and its importance towards women literature and social life.

1.3. Literature review