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It’s Not “Modern” to Call Mr. Bennet a Terrible Father
8 responses to “It’s Not “Modern” to Call Mr. Bennet a Terrible Father”
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The lack of a governess for the Bennet daughters makes me wonder how Elizabeth and Mary know how to play the pianoforte, as well as why they’re the only sisters to know how. (I assumed that Mrs Bennet had a hand in Jane‘s lack of piano education by believing her beauty alone would land her multiple proposals, but I really don’t know.)
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Elizabeth does say they could have whatever masters they wanted, so I assume they hired a piano master for Elizabeth/Mary.
As for Jane, I’ve always thought she was so busy trying to teach Lydia to read that she didn’t have time for accomplishments.
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Well-constructed argument, as always!!! However, I think terrible far too strong a word. It sometimes seems as if – just my take, probably wrong – some Austen lovers spend a great deal of time judging her characters (and with great severity, too). I find myself idly wondering if they themselves have ever judged poorly, acted impulsively, or done something that they regret?
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I think the mother’s taught the girls girly things and the father’s taught them accounts and minor financial things. I think Mr Bennett could have been more helpful but I think he loved his girls.
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In my opinion, love is kind of useless unless it comes with action. A parent best expresses their love by ensuring a future for their children, and that’s something that Mr. Bennet has failed to do. When he’s dead, they are pretty screwed, and he doesn’t seem to care.
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One thing that P&P along with the other JA stories is she shows the flaws of almost every character type there is and just like today we still love characters including their flaws. Modern vs then people need to realize that there is nothing new under the sun and we all still struggle with the same things just the “environments” adjust with the years.
Now my opinion that Mr Bennet should have done more – yes but that is where we get some fantastic authors that continue to bring us stories that take one or more things and tweak them to make a wonderful new story.
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For all her faults, I think Mrs. Bennet is a good mother and gets a very bad rap. She was the only parent involved in raising her kids and that puts undue pressure on her which probably causes her to be so melodramatic most of the times. She may not be a sensible mother but she was the only parent who worried about her daughters future after Mr..Bennet is gone and did something to move things along. Mr. Bennet on the other hand was having a good laugh and roll eyes at her expense while not doing anything for his girls after he is long gone.
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I don’t think Mrs. Bennet is a good mother, they are both poor parents. Mrs. Bennet is very loud, but she is doing noting to help the girls marry, she even hinders them! Not giving them a proper education and not correcting their manners is a big problem. They are both bad in opposite ways.
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