In fiction there have been many memorable characters, who have stood up for themselves and them around them. They are strong, witty intelligent people and usually extremely well written.

In my opinion the most independent of characters is from the Classic Novel of Pride and Prejudice. Of course it's Eliza Bennet.

Despite her surroundings and her family she is an opinionated, clever, animated character. She is afraid of no one and will always have the strength of character to speak her mind. This is tempered with grace and manners and she would never be hurtful or malicious.

She has to be an ultimate heroine for women of all ages, and keeping her spirit and her tenacity she gets the happy ending that we all want. She gets it without changing her character, but with the good grace to admit she can however change her mind.

She has been played on Screen memorable by 3 actresses from different ages.

1. Greer Garson, she play Lizzie to Lawerence Olivias Mr Darcy. This is quiet a great performance, and although it stick mostly to the book, it does deviate in certain areas greatly.

2. Jennifer Ehrl, this is in the BBC adaptation where Colin Firth played Mr Darcy. This has to be one of the definitive adaptations, and it's beautifully portrayed and acted. Is as close the the Jane Austin books as possible.

3. Keira Knightly, this is a more recent Movie adaptation, which looses quiet a lot of the book, and it tends to loose the grittiness of the times, not to mention that Keirn Knightly was FAR to pretty to play Eliza. Eliza was pretty, but was never supposed to be prettier than her sister Jane, which in this instance she was.

If you have never read Pride and Prejudice, I strongly recommend it. It's a super book, and is a real lesson in "Pride cometh before a fall"