Gotta Love Mommy.

Mrs. Bennet. The mother of five daughters from the beginning of the novels expresses her urge in wanting her daughters to marry well. From the moment she hears about Mr. Bingly she tells her husband that’s a “fine thing for our girls” (1). It is understandable that after having raised them she seeks a good life for them with someone wealthy. Still I see her a little intense. There are examples from the book that prove this:

When Jane receives the letter from Miss.Bingly inviting to her house, she says that Jane can’t go in the carriage and “had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain and then you must stay all night.” (22)
She gets lucky and it rains. Because of the rain Jane gets sick and must stay there until she gets better. Mrs. Bennet does not seem to care very much that her daughter is sick instead she thinks that “as long as she stays there, it is all very well.” (23)

Desperate to leave, Elizabeth asks her mother for the carriage and she tells them that “they could not possibly have the carriage before Tuesday” (44). As another resort, Elizabeth begs Jane to ask Mr. Bingly for his carriage. He lends it to them and the girls “were not received home very cordially by their mother”(45) because they did not stay as long as she wanted.

Up to now in the book there have been no fights between the mother and the girls because of her intensity. Perhaps the girls know the she does this for their own good. Or that that’s normal for a mother. Considering that the novel was written about 200 years ago we can’t compare it to a modern situation but it does serves as an example to see how times have changed. Now days, you never see a mother choosing a husband for her daughter. Sure she might give her opinion or be in disagreement but still it is not her decision. In a hidden way, this book alludes to arranged marriages because even if it seems normal that Mrs.Bennet chooses for her daughters and they agree with it, the girls don’t choose. I think they are raised with the mentality that that is how it’s supposed to be or at least the book puts it that way.

I am against arranged marriages. We should be able to choose who we want to be with and if we choose learn, face it and learn from it. Still it could be soon the other way, which they choose for us because they want what’s best for us. In this book this is the case and also the time period. But my point is that even if Mrs.Bennet and mothers in general are intense we love them.