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Mr. Bennet has made an imprudent marriage with a silly, ill-mannered woman, but has decided to honor his commitment and bear with in as dignified manner as possible. The marriage has produced five daughters, a mixture of foolish, lively, ugly, dynamic dispositions. Mr. Bennet has given up hope of shaping the children in a sensible manner, except perhaps Elizabeth who is his favorite. He finds his wife too active, strong and intent, to be denied control of their upbringing. Bennet confines his responsibility to preserving the property and status of the family, leaving the character formation of the girls to his wife. He expresses his abhorrence for his wife’s behavior in the form of sarcasm and dry, caustic humor. His open contempt for his wife sows seeds of irresponsible behavior in his daughters. He protests the foolishness of his daughters with a combination of indifference and wit, but is unwilling to exert himself to restrain the wild behavior of the younger daughters. Despite his protests, he proves eager to oblige his wife. He calls on Netherfield as she requested, allows Lydia to go to Brighton against his better judgment and permits Lydia and Wickham to visit Longbourn after marriage, despite his anger at their elopement.
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Mr. Bennet has not tried to save money during the early years of his marriage out of expectation that he would bear a son who would inherit Longbourn. After birthing five daughters, he resigns himself to not having a son, but feels by this time that it is too late for him to start saving. The loss of the entail to his brother’s son leaves the family financially weak and vulnerable. His primary objective must to be to marry off the girls. He pursues it quietly from behind, allowing his wife to take initiative but lending her his emotional support. He plays his appropriate role quietly and discharges his responsibility to his daughters. Bennet acts through the power of self-restraint, poise, patience and inaction. Eliza’s refusal to worry or dwell on circumstances that are beyond her control is an expression of her father’s poise in the face of adverse circumstances.
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Mr. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
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