Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen reflects the life of a middle-class family of the 19th century consisting of five daughters with no male heir (Golemac 4). Mrs. Bennet (a character in the novel) represents an ineffective, insensible, impatient, sarcastic, and impulsive woman with limited knowledge and little understanding. She always has a fear in her mind that after the death of her husband, her daughters would not entail the estate that is why she is looking for spouses for her daughters (Golemac 4): “The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.” (Austen 5). Besides, she does not seem to be a smart person and she likes gossips (Golemac 4): “Her mind was less difficult to develop… When she is discontented, she fancied herself nervous” (Austen 5).
Moreover, Mrs. Bennet is like all caring and
loving mothers who wish best for their offspring therefore Mrs. Bennet forces
her husband to introduce their daughters to Mr. Bingley, a single man with good
status and income. Nevertheless, at times her maternal compassion is suppressed
by her determination to get her daughters married. For instance, she sends Jane
to Netherfield in bad weather knowing that Jane will have to stay there
overnight. But when Jane gets sick, her mother is not worried at all, rather
she is pleased that her daughter will be closer to Mr. Bingley during her stay
at Netherfield (Golemac 4). Later in the novel, Mrs. Bennet’s insensitive
behavior hurts Jane when the former continuously relate the latter to Mr. Bingley
even after realizing that Mr. Bingley has lost his interest in Jane (Musso 13).
Similarly, the ineffectiveness of her
character is represented by her reaction to Darcy’s vilification of Elizabeth’s
prettiness. Instead, she was thinking of losing an opportunity of making Mr.
Darcy her son-in-law which makes her a vain woman (35).
Furthermore, Mrs. Bennet is a loud person who
does not even think before speaking. Illustrated by her impulsivity in her
behavior, she tells Mrs. Lucas about her own expectations of getting Jane
married to Mr. Bingley (Golemac 4): “It was an animating subject, and Mrs.
Bennet seemed incapable of fatigue while enumerating the advantages of the
match” (Austen 97). Besides, the personality of Mrs. Bennet remains the same
throughout the novel which lacks certain qualities not only as a wife but also
as a mother (Golemac 32).
In conclusion, Mrs. Bennet is a flat
character in the novel, which undergoes no changes and makes her daughters
ashamed of her own inappropriate social conduct. She strives for the security
of her daughters and represents the women of the 19th century who were
subjected and subordinated to males in the house. In addition, she might be
insane and less intelligent, but one cannot neglect her concern for her daughters,
which made her helpless that she would not be able to provide her girls a place
to live after the death of their father. This is the reason Mrs. Bennet keeps
on planning to get her daughters married.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane.
Pride and Prejudice. 1813.
Golemac, Andrea.
"Representation of Women in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and
Persuasion." 2014, p 4-5.
Musso, Darlene Grobes.
"Looking For The Good Mother In Jane Austeb's Novels." 2000.
