To be so happily settled: Which P&P character are you?

“Jane, I congratulate you .  You will be a very happy woman.”

Jane went to [her father] instantly, kissed him, and thanked him for his goodness.

“You are a good girl,” he replied, “and I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled.  I have not a doubt of your doing very well together.  Your tempers are by no means unlike.  You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income.”

“I hope not so.  Imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matters, would be unpardonable in me.”

“Exceed their income!  My dear Mr. Bennet,” cried his wife, “what are you talking of?  Why, he has four or five thousand a-year, and very likely more.”  

~from Pride and Prejudice, Volume III, Chapter XIII

Just for fun:  since it is human nature for a reader to find (or insert) yourself in the pages of the book you are reading, let’s compare notes.  Pride and Prejudice seems to be most readers’ favorite Jane Austen book, so we’ll start there.  Which P&P character seems to resemble you most closely?  What about your spouse or significant other?  Here’s a sample list:

~Elizabeth:  Intelligent, perceptive of human nature, has “sparkling wit;” “vivacious,” principled

~her sister Jane:  Also intelligent and perceptive, but kinder and gentler, reserved, sees everyone in the best light possible

~sister Mary:  Bookish and socially awkward, moralistic; plays the piano

~sister Kitty:  Boy-crazy, with few other interests; a follower

~youngest sister Lydia:  Also boy-crazy, strong-willed, out for a laugh, unprincipled

~father Mr. Bennet:  Intelligent, a gentleman; eccentric with quirky sense of humor; sarcastic when provoked

~mother Mrs. Bennet:  Extroverted, also rather selfish and silly, blind to moral issues

~friend Charlotte:  Rather plain but intelligent and practical

~Mr. Bingley, the new neighbor:  Friendly, kind, “amiable” (new money)

~Caroline, Mr. Bingley’s sister:  fashionable, devious, a flatterer

~Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley’s friend:  tall and handsome; very wealthy (old money), aloof, privileged; considerate as a landlord and employer; highly principled

~Lady Catherine, Mr. Darcy’s aunt:  Proud authoritarian, self-focused, rich

~Mr. Collins:  Insecure, socially awkward, a yes-man; proud of his position Lady Catherine; moralistic

~Mr. Wickham:  Good-looking and charming; finds the best slant to any story or opportunity

In my own life story, I find myself a little more like the quieter, more peace-loving sister Jane than the sparkling Elizabeth.  And though most of the Janeite stickers, mugs, tote bags, and so on (and on and on!) focus on Mr. Darcy as everyone’s dream man–and of course he is almost as central to the story as Elizabeth–my husband Frank is perhaps closer to the easy-going, agreeable Mr. Bingley.  Like Jane and Bingley, we also persevered through a long-distance test to our relationship.  (But sadly, we are not independently wealthy.  Sigh.)  Frank does have a sarcastic streak, though, and I strongly suspect that if he had married a Mrs. Bennet he would have become more like Elizabeth’s intellectually frustrated father.  Among the other characters, I also claim some of Charlotte’s calm pragmatism as well as Elizabeth’s interest in the complexities of human nature.

But more to the point, where do you find yourself in the story?  Which characters do you find appealing, and which most closely depict the loved ones in your life?