Mr. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
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| Full Name: | Mr. Bennet |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Occupation: | Gentleman |
| Income: | £2000/year |
| Rank: | Gentleman |
| Carriage(s) Owned: | Coach |
| Primary Residence: | Longbourn House in the village of Longbourn in Hertfordshire |
| Favorite Pastimes: | Reading, making sport of others |
| Family | |
| Spouse: | Mrs. Bennet |
| Children: | Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, Lydia |
| Film Adaptations | |
| Portrayed By: | 1940 Movie: Edmund Gwenn 1952 TV serial: Milton Rosmer 1958 TV serial: Hugh Sinclair 1967 TV serial: Michael Gough 1980 TV serial: Moray Watson 1995 TV serial: Benjamin Whitrow 2005 Movie: Donald Sutherland |
Mr. Bennet is a fictional character in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. .
Contents |
[edit] Character introduction
He is the father of Elizabeth Bennet, the heroine of the story.
[edit] Character sketch
Mr. Bennet possesses an estate in Hertfordshire. He is married with five daughters, a circumstance relevant to his legacy. The terms of Mr. Bennet's inheritance require a male heir. Because he has no son, upon his death his property is to be inherited by his closest male relative, Mr. Collins, a clergyman with whom he has had a poor relationship. Mr. Bennet, a gentle and caring man, is very close to his two elder daughters, Jane and Elizabeth, and favors "Lizzy" above the rest. However, he has a poor opinion of the intelligence and sensibility of his wife and his three younger daughters, frequently declaring them "silly" and visiting them with insulting remarks as well as gentle teasing.
"Mr. Bennet's expectations were fully answered. His cousin was as absurd as he had hoped, and he listened to him with the keenest enjoyment." (page 71-72 in the illustrated novel) This quotation shows Mr. Bennet’s character. Mr. Bennet is a very amiable man but he has a bitingly sarcastic humour. He is possessed of a quick wit and he uses it as often as he can but sometimes he prefers to be the observer, a trait which was carried on to Lizzy, perhaps the reason for his favoritism. He can take pleasure in observing other people when they are absurd.
[edit] Motivation(s)
Mr. Bennet is basically an indolent father. He would much rather escape into his library then take responsibility with raising his five daughters.
[edit] Goal(s)
Mr. Bennet does not outwardly appear to have any goals other than to seek and find amusement when he can in his fellow neighbors.
[edit] Conflict(s)
Mr. Bennet is momentarily forced to take responsibility for his own lack of care when his youngest daughter attempts to elope with the antagonist of the novel, Mr. Wickham.
[edit] Minor irritation(s)
[edit] Epiphany
That his lack of oversight nearly caused the ruin of his family.
[edit] Biographical summary
[edit] Prior story
He married his wife, whom he was too late to discover was just a pretty face. He married her, "captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour that youth and beauty so often provides".
[edit] Actions in "Pride and Prejudice"
For much of the novel, we see Mr. Bennet through the heroine's eyes, as a loving, if somewhat indolent, father. He doesn't really come into the foreground until the incident with Lydia Bennet and Mr. Wickham, when he has to go to London to try and discover her and force Mr. Wickham to marry her. Sadly, he cannot even do this. He does not succeed and turns the search over to his more competent brother-in-law Mr. Gardiner.
[edit] Relationship with other characters in Pride and Prejudice
- Mrs. Bennet - his wife. He makes fun of her silliness in front of his children.
- Jane Bennet - his eldest daughter. The relationship is loving, as she's one of the only two "sensible" ones of his children.
- Elizabeth Bennet - his second daughter. The relationship is one of two kindred spirits. They both take delight in finding humor in life experiences. They are also both very intelligent. This is his favorite daughter.
- Mary Bennet - third daughter
- Catherine "Kitty" Bennet - fourth daughter
- Lydia Bennet - youngest daughter. She is the silliest of them all and nearly ruins the chances of her sisters to marry well. This daughter has caused Mr. Bennet the most trouble.
[edit] Sources
- Pemberley.com. Jane Austen Adaptations Filmography. Retrieved on 2006-05-31.
[edit] Quotations
- "Console Lady Catherine as well as you can. But, if I were you, I would stand by the nephew. He has more to give." -- Mr. Bennet's letter to Mr. Collins
- "For what do we live, but to make sport of our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?" - Mr. Bennet to his daughter Elizabeth.
