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Poor Parenting And Abusive Home Life

Decent Essays

Poor parenting and abusive home life portrayed in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice produces emotionally deep and interesting characters that far surpass those of the rural social scene of 18th-century England. The two oldest daughters of the Bennet family, Jane and Elizabeth, are by far more intelligent and well-mannered than either their mother or three younger sisters. Their father, Mr. Bennet, sits in the middle of this stark contrast. The sarcasm aimed at his insufferable wife and humorously cold attitude toward his family’s occasionally outrageous behavior allow the reader to applaud him for his intelligence and wit. However, these traits reveal his failings both as a father and husband. Constant mockery of his wife and younger …show more content…

This horrible excuse of a male figure takes pleasure in irritating and ridiculing the woman he vowed to love for the rest of his life noting that, “her ignorance and folly contributed to his amusement” (228). His malicious ways effect these women in psychological ways that make it almost seem childish. For example, he enjoys frustrating his wife about their lack of social connections just to hear her complain, and then sarcastically pokes fun at her fading beauty. While the intent is to humorously belittle his wife’s bad manners and constant attempts to marry off their daughters, his cutting tone and dominance create a toxic and inappropriate relationship for the married couple. Realizing her father’s influence on their family dynamic, Elizabeth struggles to reconcile an affectionate relationship that could end “exposing his wife to the contempt of her own children,” (228). Elizabeth yearns for her father care for their family and to become “fully aware of the evils arising from so ill-judged a direction of talents; talents which rightly used, might at least preserve the respectability of his daughters, even if incapable of enlarging the mind of his wife” (229). What Elizabeth wants more than anything is for her father to find respect for his marriage and family and honor the vows he made to love and protect them until the day he dies. As the leader of the house, he must dedicate himself to his wife and family and honor all commits for her sake of

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