Pride And Prejudice

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had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character" (Austen 5). In fact, Mr. Bennet entertains himself with witty comments that Mrs. Bennet can never seem to comprehend. For example, when one of the Bennet's daughters, Kitty, is coughing, Mrs. Bennet foolishly scolds her and asks to "have a little compassion on my nerves" (Austen 5). Mr. Bennet humorously replies by claiming that "Kitty has no discretion in her coughs. She times them ill" (Austen 5). While, Mrs. Bennet married for money, it is evident that Mr. Bennet chose to marry purely because of Mrs. Bennet's young and beautiful appearance. A reference is made to Mrs. Bennet's past beauty when Mr. Bennet tells of how "you are as handsome as any of them, and Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party" (Austen 4). Such a sharp-witted man would not marry such an absurd woman for any other reason than a temporary crush.
It is also quite clear that Mr. Bennet's lack of affection for his wife translates ...

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parallels the marriage of another couple, Charlotte and Mr. Collins. The two marriages are quite similar in that each other's spouses have almost no feelings for one another. Charlotte marries the ridiculous Mr. Collins since "it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune" (Austen 82). Her reason behind her choice for a life partner was purely based on money and had nothing to do with her feelings towards her husband. As Charlotte once said to Elizabeth, "happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance" (Austen 16). Thus, it is clear that like Mrs. Bennet, the logic behind her marriage is purely based on maintaining a high social status at ...

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