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What do we learn about Mrs Bennet's and Mr Bennet's character traits (Chapter
1)?
Write a characterisation and use quotations to support your interpretation.
Mr and Mrs Bennet have five children, all are female. But they have different
opinions about their daughters and women in general.
In Mrs Bennet's opinion women have to be pretty and "good-tempered" (p.8) as her
two daughters Jane and Lydia. Mr Bennet, however, thinks that "they are all
silly and ignorant" (p.8). He favours Elisabeth because of her intelligence and
wit. But he has learnt to deal with women like his wife and takes it good-
humouredly.
Mrs Bennet fully devotes her life to the upbringing of her children. It is "her
business in life" (p.9) to get them married. She wants to make provisions for
their future and feels liable to find rich men as husbands for her daughters.
Mrs Bennet tries to improve her opportunities to find suitable husbands by
talking with other women who all seem to have the same affection for superficial
topics. She also gets upset quickly if people do not act like she wants them to.
And her husband often shows disinterest in her if she thinks a certain topic
is worth considering.
Mr Bennet likes to tease her and thinks he does not mean anything to her. In
addition to that he knows she is a curious gossip. But he has no objections when
she wants to tell him about the new neighbour. On the one hand he knows that he
cannot stop her talkativeness. On the other hand he is inquisitive about this

topic and he just does not want to show it to his wife, because he also asks:
"Is he married or single"(p.7). He is also concerned about his daughters' future
but Mr Bennet does not only focus on this topic. He reacts sarcastically. He
does not want to feel obliged to do something from Mrs Bennet.
Mr and Mrs Bennet do not seem to have much in common. Mrs Bennet does "not
understand his character" (p.9).
These facts bring up the question if they really love each other.

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