Mr & Mrs Bennet

Mr & Mrs Bennet

1. Mr Bennet

   • Likeable
     • Clever
     • Dry sense of humour
     • Teases Mrs B...
       • "I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends."
   • Comic
     • Enjoys mocking people
       • Especially Mr Collins
         • Mr Bennet has "great hopes of finding him quite the reverse," of sensible
   • Similar to liz
     • Share same opinion
       • Mr Collins proposal
         • "I will never see you again if you do."
     • Makes reader view him positively

2. Mrs Bennet

   • Isn't very bright
     • "uncertain temper"
   • Caricature
     • Hysterical
       • Unaware of her own flaws
   • Ironic humour
     • Main aim is to get her daughters married
       • She is the biggest obstacle to their marriage prospects
   • Bad example
     • Austen uses humour to make a serious point
       • Materialism
         • Lack of self-awareness
       • Contribute to Lyd's recklessness

3. Marriage

   • Their marriage is based on shallow attraction
     • Youth & beauty
     • Not enough to be happy
     • Nothing in common, no 'real affection'
   • Mr Bennet
     • Not much happiness
     • Laughing
       • 'Ignorance and folly'
     • Mrs B can't "understand his character"
   • Children
     • unhappy marriage negatively affects them
     • Mrs B= bad influence
       • Mr Bennet= bad parenting
         • He either laughs at bad behaviour or avoids it
   • Liz
     • Liz sees all the disadvantages of her parents marriage
     • Makes her determined to marry someone she LOVES & RESPECTS