Pride and Prejudice Group

Question:

ssj4marcus
ssj4marcus
Student
College - Junior

How is Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice a product of a world where women have to "sit down in life" because they have no options besides marriage?

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Posted by ssj4marcus on Tuesday September 29, 2009 at 11:01 AM and tagged with characters, marriage, mrs bennett, sit down in life.

Answers:


  1. scarletpimpernel Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Mrs. Bennet herself got married because it was the thing for women to do in her time period.  Her one goal for all her daughters is that they make a suitable match--in other words, that they marry for money or position.  She does not truly care about their happiness; rather, for her, validation for her as a mother and for her daughters being "successful" in life is marriage.  This is evident in her attitude toward Lydia's reckless choices and resulting marriage to Wickham.  She doesn't care what it seems to have cost the family in reputation or money (for she doesn't know about Darcy's involvement)--she is simply happy that she has one daughter married.

    Mrs. Bennet is not entirely fictional.  She is an archetype who appears in many of Austen's novels because Austen sought to satirize the notion that all women were good for is marriage.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/pride-and-prejudice/characters
    http://www.enotes.com/pride-and-prejudice/themes

    Rate answer:

    Posted by scarletpimpernel on Tuesday September 29, 2009 at 11:49 AM