Explore the Character of Mr Bennet

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Mr Bennet Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice is centred around the Bennet family which consists of the patriarch Mr Bennet, Mrs Bennet and their five daughters. Mr Bennet is an intelligent and witty character which when we are introduced to his daughter Elizabeth we see these attributes have been passed down to her. Mr Bennet and Mrs Bennet are the first characters introduced in the novel. In this introduction of the two characters we are not only told of the great importance of marriage that is put on the society but also they're opposing views. On the arrival of a new young, rich and single man, Mrs Bennet jumps at the opportunity to make one their daughters a suitor. Jane Austen uses Mrs Bennet as the perfect example of a typical mother in nineteenth century society and uses Mr Bennet to mock these views which creates humour. From this Mr Bennet becomes a loveable character through the way he is compared with his ecstatic wife and in the way he uses his intelligent remarks to confuse her. Mr Bennet has a particular liking towards his daughter Elizabeth. His initial reaction to Mrs Bennet's suggestion of one of their daughters to be married to the new gentleman is that he would be prepared for the suitor to be Elizabeth. “though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.” Although having five other daughters and Elizabeth not being the eldest he insists on Elizabeth being more suitable. Mrs Bennet prefers her other daughters to Elizabeth as she sees them as reflecting the traditional girls. “They have none of them much to recommend them, they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.” In the novel, Mr Bennet is an absent character. He is very distant from his family as he hasn't much shared interest with them. He married a woman of weak understanding

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