The Lovable Mrs. Bennet of Pride and Prejudice Essay

Just as the characters unknowingly follow Darcy's example of pride, they commit Elizabeth's crucial mistake, prejudging people (especially Darcy) according to horribly inadequate experience. Elizabeth's positive judgement of Wickham and negative one of Darcy prevent her from seeing Wickham's devious and whimsical nature and Darcy's honest efforts to improve despite the apparent lack of incentive. Like Elizabeth, the rest of the Bennets, and indeed the rest of those living in the vicinity of Meryton, believe Darcy to be a wholly disagreeable man. (In fact, he began as such, but even when he began to change, everyone refused to realize it, and maintained their dislike of him because of their previous judgements.) Mrs. Bennet is prejudiced against all other mothers with young daughters, believing them to be just as ambitious and scheming as she herself is. When told that Mrs. Long promised to introduce the Bennet sisters to Bingley, Mrs. Bennet hisses

From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. ---Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do’” (97). Mrs. Bennet makes a fuss over trivial things and is partial to exaggeration. These attributes prompt her children and husband to see her as unimportant and harmless. Although her word is ineffective in her household, Mrs. Bennet’s persistence to marry her daughters is ceaseless: “Not yet, however, in spite of her disappointment in her husband, did Mrs. Bennet give up the point. She talked to Elizabeth again and again; coaxed and threatened her by turns” (97). Mrs. Bennet can’t see past her marital ideals for her daughters and can’t understand why they don’t concern themselves as ardently as she does with them. In a fit of anger, Mrs. Bennet claims to disown Elizabeth for refusing Mr. Collin’s proposal by stating, “’But I tell you what, Miss Lizzy, if you take it into your head to go on refusing every offer of marriage in this way, you will never get a husband at all --and I am sure I do not know who is to maintain you when your father is dead’” (98). Elizabeth’s mother thinks that her threats have weight but all the Bennet children know her warnings are hollow. Even when Lydia runs away with Wickham and brings shame to the Bennet family, Mrs. Bennet is only concerned with the fact that Lydia is getting married: “She was now in an irritation as violent from

Elizabeth becomes acquainted with and attracted to a young officer named Wickham who tells her of how he and Darcy used to live under the same house because the late Darcy was his guardian. Wickham explains that Darcy cruelly cheated him out an inheritance. This information makes Elizabeth despise Darcy’s character even more than before. Meanwhile, Mrs. Bennet eagerly waits for Mr. Bingley to visit them like he said he would, however, Jane suddenly receives a letter in the mail from Miss Bingley informing her that the Bingleys and Darcy have returned to London for the winter. Jane is sad but does her best to hide it. Meanwhile another shock arrives for Elizabeth when Charlotte Lucas tells her that she is engaged to Mr. Collins. Charlotte explains that she is getting old and needs security and a comfortable home and that she is not looking for love in a marriage. Elizabeth does not believe that Charlotte will be happy but agrees to visit her and Mr. Collins after they are married. Jane travels to London with her aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, to get away from the family and the countryside and also in hopes that she will see Mr. Bingley. However, Miss Bingley visits her and behaves very rudely, reassuring Jane that Miss Bingley never intended to be her friend in the first place, and that her friendship with Mr. Bingley is beginning to look very unfortunate. Later in the spring, Elizabeth visits her best friend Charlotte Lucas, who is now known as Mrs.

Mrs. Bennet, another integral character in the novel is known for her bubbly, ditzy, and vivacious personality. It is easy to say that Mrs. Bennet only cares about her daughters and ensuring that they are married. She insists that her daughters marry men in a high social class with a lot of money. Because of this, many would agree that Mrs. Bennet is extremely prejudice in various aspects, but primarily when it comes to the marriage of her daughters. For example, when the Bennets first meet Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Bennet thinks that he is nice looking and likes that he has such a large amount of money. However, she ignores him after she realizes he is rude and snobbish. But the moment that Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet treated him as well as she treated Mr. Bingley, simply because her daughter was potentially marrying him. She didn’t care if Elizabeth was happy or if she didn’t love him. This proves that Mrs. Bingley is prejudice towards others solely for her daughter’s and her own benefit. Many would agree that Mrs. Bennet is so extremely prejudice because her daughters are truly the only thing that she has in life. The Bennets aren’t incredibly rich and she and her husband aren’t truly in

An idealist is someone who follows and is influenced by ideals and standards as opposed to considering the practicalities of a situation. In other words, an idealist does not carefully think every situation through, but rather responds to the norm instead. In Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet, the novel’s protagonist, is an intelligent and sharp individual, who is profoundly interested in romantic relationships and getting married, as her mother wants her to do. Elizabeth, willing to marry anyone for the sake of romance, becomes easily distracted and, in turn, does not consider every aspect of the situations she entangles herself in before fastening conclusions. Because she so easily succumbs to the powers of romance and often leaves her better judgement at home, Elizabeth Bennet can be considered an idealist.

Jane tells Elizabeth all of her feelings for Mr. Bingley. “’I was very much flattered by his asking me to dance a second time. I did not expect such a compliment’” (Austen 39). Elizabeth is the first that she tells when she falls sick and is the only one that Jane wishes to see. Elizabeth also tells Jane everything that she has heard about Mr. Wickham. They talk about what they should do and how they think the outcome will be. “Elizabeth related to Jane the next day what had passed between Mr. Wickham and herself. Jane listened with astonishment and concern; she knew not how to believe that Mr. Darcy could be so unworthy of Mr. Bingley’s regard; and yet, it was not in her nature to question the veracity of a young man of such amiable appearance as Wickham” (Austen 271). Later in the story, Lydia runs away with Mr. Wickham and Elizabeth and Jane share information already learned to discuss if they think Lydia will be ok. “’I must confess that he did not speak so well of Wickham as he formerly did. He believed him to be imprudent and extravagant. And since this sad affair has taken place, it is said that he left Meryton greatly in debt; but I hope this may be false.’ ‘Oh, Jane, had we been less secret, had we told what we knew of him, this could not have happened!’” (Austen 912). It is really interesting to see the girls advise each other because they always work so well together.

Despite the radical behaviour of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen would not be consider a feminist by today’s standards. Viewing what meant to be a feminist in Austen’s time, how the main character of the novel illustrated that feminism, what feminism is today we can see how Austen would not be consider a feminist.

The fact that Mr Bennet knows that his marriage is unsuccessful is important.  We know that he is conscious of it, as he warns Elizabeth against an unequal marriage,

  In her novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen portrays Elizabeth Bennet as "strong and intelligent, yet bewitching in a completely feminine way". Elizabeth's possession of these attributes: strength of character and moral integrity, great intelligence, and an attractive personality, make her an admirable person. Yet Elizabeth has faults, which makes her more human. Austen's portrayal of Elizabeth is realistic and masterful, often juxtaposing her with characters lacking her attributes to heighten our appreciation of her.

situation is best summed up in the book by Jane Austen as we are given

In Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet, the mother of the protagonist, Elizabeth, is generally portrayed as a buffoon who is an adversary for he daughter that is trying to force her into a marriage she does not want. One may wonder how she can be justified in any way, considering that she is known to embarrass her family members and behave idiotically. However, in the time period they live in, a marriage is necessary for all of the family to avoid a terrible fate. Mrs. Bennet, while often behaving improperly, does try to do the best for her daughters based on the world she lives in.

Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship is contrasted with the other couples in the novel. It can especially be seen between the relationship Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have. The sensible characters in the novel accept the standard of intelligence and sensitivity and their relationships are determined by it. Mr. Bennet cannot be happy with his wife because he does not respect her. He retreats

She is also very smart in trying to marry off all of her daughters as soon as possible. The key reason was that women at this time depended on the men in their life to survive, it may have been their father or their husband but they relied heavily on the males in their lives. Because Mrs. Bennet and her daughters were so heavily reliant on Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet was completely justified in trying to have her daughters married off to the richest and most socially advanced bachelors. She was also very aware of a women's role in society and knew that marriage was what society had in stall for them.

her husband’s impatience with it. Mr. Bennet appears to have the same opinion of two of his

Mr. Bennet denies but he secretly goes without telling anyone. The Bennetts are then invited to a ball at the Bingleys mansion. This being where the Bennett sisters and their primary love interests will first meet. At this ball though things don't go exactly as planned in regards to Elizabeth. Charles Bingley instructs Fitzwilliam Darcy to ask Elizabeth to dance. In response Fitzwilliam calls Elizabeth tolerable and says that Jane is the only beautiful girl at the ball. This is overheard by Elizabeth and sparks her first impression of Fitzwilliam. Which at this point she sees him as a rude, arrogant, and proud member of the Upper class who doesn't like to dance with females of a lower social status. Although initially Elizabeth does find Fitzwilliam to be tall and handsome. This leads Elizabeth to have a dislike of Fitzwilliam which then will make way for her current attitude towards him during this point in the novel. Throughout a series of events Darcy’s idea of Elizabeth changes into the polar opposite of his idea of her at the beginning of the novel. Elizabeth’s idea of Darcy changes much more slowly throughout the novel at one point turning down a proposal from Darcy toward the beginning of the second half