Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is such a well known
and often talked about and analyzed book that I am in a little bit of a dilemma
as to how to approach my commentary. First off, I shall render my verdict: this
is an extraordinary and fun book that is packed with entertaining and dynamic
characters. It is also filled with insightful and important observations about
the human experience. The novel is infused with amusing, thoughtful and surprising
deep philosophy. This book is all about people. Specifically, it is about our
strengths, weaknesses, motivations and desires. As a latecomer to Austen, I can
say with an air of impartiality that may be suspect in her more diehard fans that
this book deserves the esteem that it is held in.
For those who are unfamiliar with the story, the main
character is Elizabeth Bennet. The narrative follows Elizabeth and her sisters
as they interact with society. Romantic associations form a key part of their
world. Jane is the oldest sister and although an incurable optimist, she is
intelligent and perceptive. Catherine and
Lydia are still in their teens and are frivolous, flirty and very immature. Mary, is bookish but pretentious. I will say more about Elizabeth
below.
The various male characters who intermingle romantically with the sisters
include the moody, complex and enigmatic Mr. Darcy, the charming, decent, but
somewhat weak willed Charles Bingley, and the seemingly charming but
duplicitous George Wickham. Many additional male and female characters, some
very interesting in their own right, populate the tale.
As alluded to above, volumes upon volumes have been
written about this book by professionals and amateurs alike. The character of Elizabeth
garners much of the attention of the novel’s admirers. Such notice is well
deserved. Elizabeth is a dynamic, amusing, intelligent creation who often seems
like a real person. Her perceptive and biting observations upon the world and
its inhabitants are a major source of her popularity as well as the charm of
the book. Yet, like several of Austen’s characters, her psyche is well
constructed and includes virtues as well as flaws.
What can I add to all of this that has not already been
said? I also have in mind that this is the first Austen novel that I have read
and the immense number of opinions on Elizabeth, Darcy and the main themes of
the book have been formulated by many people who know Austen much better than I
do.
Thus, in order to avoid playing in traffic, I will focus my
attention upon a somewhat minor, or at least only moderately important, point
and character in the tale. That is, Austen’s take on the Bennet family, particularly
through the lens of Elizabeth’s father, Mr. Bennet.
We are all so accustomed in fiction to good natured and
amusing tales of families whose members are quirky and imperfect. Often, such
imperfections are viewed in the context of relationships that are, on the whole,
positive. On the surface, this seems to be the situation with the Bennets. However,
there is something going on in here that contains a surprisingly hard edge.
Mr. Bennet is a bright man who clearly imparted some of
his keen perception and acerbic humor and personality upon Elizabeth. He has, however, found himself married to a
woman who he is contemptuous of,
“Her father,
captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour which youth
and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and
illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real
affection for her. Respect, esteem, and confidence had vanished for ever; and
all his views of domestic happiness were overthrown.”
Mr. Bennet has not fallen into despair, however. Instead, he
sees his wife as an object of ridicule,
“But Mr. Bennet was
not of a disposition to seek comfort for the disappointment which his own
imprudence had brought on, in any of those pleasures which too often console
the unfortunate for their folly or their vice. He was fond of the country and
of books; and from these tastes had arisen his principal enjoyments. To his
wife he was very little otherwise indebted, than as her ignorance and folly had
contributed to his amusement.”
The fact that Austen herself, in the third person
narrative, describes Mrs. Bennet in similarly harsh terms lends the sense that Mr.
Bennet’s attitude is not just meanness.
Elizabeth’s mother is thus pronounced,
“She was a woman of
mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper.”
In addition, in several instances it is clear that thoughtful
and generally sympathetic characters can barely stand Mrs. Bennet as she
wantonly displays her narcissism, obnoxiousness and ignorance.
This is a complex situation, however. Mr. Bennet’s amused contempt
for his wife has a detrimental effect upon the entire family. At one point, Elizabeth
observes,
“that
continual breach of conjugal obligation and decorum which, in exposing his wife
to the contempt of her own children, was so highly reprehensible.”
Worse still, while Elizabeth and her sister Jane are
portrayed as intelligent, dynamic and thoughtful people, the younger sisters
are seen to be taking on their mother’s bad attributes and are on more than one
occasion described as “ignorant, idle,
and vain.”
Yet the younger girls are still in their teens. It is
somewhat surprising that Mr. Bennet, who seems to act with wisdom and
understanding when supporting his older daughters, has given up on the younger
ones. When Lydia is invited by friends to go on an ill advised stay at Brighton,
where she will likely get into serious trouble, Mr. Bennet does not care enough
to stop her. He even ridicules her and the other younger sisters’ flaws as he
does his wife’s weaknesses. This is not just appalling, but unexpected as he shows
wisdom and understanding when dealing with the older girls, and he is
particularly close with Elizabeth.
Elizabeth laments this malfeasance,
"But she had never felt so strongly as now the disadvantages which must attend the children of so unsuitable a marriage, nor ever been so fully aware of the evils arising from so ill-judged a direction of talents; talents, which, rightly used, might at least have preserved the respectability of his daughters, even if incapable of enlarging the mind of his wife.”
Later, when Lydia marries the roguish George Wickham, Mr. Bennett amuses himself by belittling his son-in-law
too.
What is one to make of Mr. Bennet? There is no excuse for
his attitude and negligence of his younger daughters. Yet, he is intelligent,
witty and perceptive. He shows admirable qualities towards his older daughters
who he clearly views as worthy of respect. Often his humor is very funny, the reader laughs alongside with him, and
he is a very entertaining character.
“
Mr. Bennet’s portrayal is one of many reasons that this is
a great novel. The man is really not so puzzling. Humans behave this way. Sometimes, the same people who exhibit very
noble behavior in some areas of life exhibit pernicious behavior in different contexts.
One can understand Mr. Benet’s attitude toward his terribly overbearing and
vacuous wife and his unscrupulous son-in-law, but only to a point. The point
stops when this contempt begins to influence and even extend to the children.
Mr. Bennet is unable to see that he has crossed a line and that his witty but
cynical sarcasm is damaging his family. Though he exhibits admirable qualities
and seems likable, he is infused with an unfortunate streak of narcissism and
irresponsibility.
Above are my observations on one little aspect of this
book. I can write a lot more and plan to do so the future.
This is a terrific book that easily reaches my
definition of “high art.” Those who love to explore the human condition though
fiction, or who just love great literature, but like to have fun while doing
so, need to read this. Personally I plan to read a lot more of Jane Austen.
