What a great post! Followed & upvoted! I loved your insights, and you're spot on with your perspectives of the original "Pride & Prejudice." I always felt that the whole thing was more of a social commentary about how ridiculous people could behave at that time, & it's very true that Elizabeth had a seriously "bitchy" side that would have stood out a lot in that time period. I have also read the book so many times & never stopped laughing when I did.

For fun, I recently started writing my own modern parody of "Pride & Prejudice" set in a SoCal-like suburbia with high schoolers competing for college scholarships by performing in "P&P." It's like a play within a play where most of the action takes place offstage & they occasionally quote the original book. I call it "The Devil Plays Mr. Darcy.". And in this one, the new Lizzie is in fact bitchy, fun and witty all rolled up into one with a gay best friend who fulfills the role of the original "Mrs. Bennet." I would love to get your thoughts on it, and I'm totally open to suggestions about refining the story as it progresses.