When I read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for the second time, I fully expected Mr. Darcy ultimately be my favorite character. Everyone and their mother seems to love Mr. Darcy in that infatuated, fangirl-ish way, but I found that my admiration was sparked by a different P&P man: Mr. Bennet. Here’s why:
1. He’s bookish and spends most of his days in his library.
2. He puts up with Mrs. Bennet, who is insane.
3. He has a great sense of humor.
4. He is wiser than he seems.
“I know that you could be neither happy nor respectable, unless you truly esteemed your husband; unless you looked up to him as a superior. Your lively talents would place you in the greatest danger in an unequal marriage … My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life.”
– Mr. Bennet to Lizzy
While reading P&P, I couldn’t help feeling as though Mr. Bennet was one of the few sane characters, along with Lizzy. He is realistic, logical, and far less concerned with pleasing others than are his wife and daughters. His calm demeanor is emphasized even more by the ridiculous nature of Mrs. Bennet, who is rather exhausting to listen to by the end of the novel.
Is Mr. Bennet flawless? Absolutely not. The exorbitant amount of time he spends in his library should probably be spent with his family instead, and it seems as though his relationships with his daughters and wife could certainly be improved. However, I think he’s a character worth taking a second glance at. After living in the shadows of the other characters, perhaps it’s finally time for Mr. Bennet to step into the spotlight.
Who is your favorite character in Pride and Prejudice? What do you think of Mr. Bennet? Let me know in the comments section below!
Yours,
HOLLY
Nut Free Nerd 
This is such a fun post!! I must admit I haven’t yet read P&P (I know a book sin!) but I have of course seen the movie and do fangirl a tad for Mr Darcy! I love that your favourite character lies with the book nerd! I would be the exact same way!
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haha don’t worry, I’m the opposite way– I’ve never seen the movie version of P&P! I keep meaning to watch it but for some reason I never get around to it. I feel like I’m definitely missing out, though!
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I love Mr. Bennet, but I think he would have been happier as a scholar than as a father of a house full of daughters. Mrs. Bennet certainly overreacts, but with no home or money to leave to his daughters he probably should have done something more for them. His flaws just make him easier to like though. I can really relate to him wanting to hide away from his family with books.
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I definitely agree– Mr. Bennet could have been a better father for sure. I just can’t help but like him because he seems the most level headed of the Bennet bunch. Although I must say, Mrs. Bennet certainly makes me chuckle!
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I used to really like Mr Bennet but on my most recent re-read I was appalled by how dismissive he is of Mrs B. And he’s nice to Lizzy but basically ignores all of the others because they’re silly. Dude, they’re your kids; if they’re silly, whose fault is that? I have renewed sympathy for his missus.
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I completely agree– from a parenting perspective, he’s definitely not the best! I think it helps explain why Mrs. Bennet and the girls are the way they are. Thanks for commenting! 🙂
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I love Mr. Bennet. He’s not the best father in a lot of respects but he’s so funny!
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That’s exactly how I feel! He’s great as a character, but he would be terrible in actuality.
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True, Mr. Bennet is a great character; however, his conduct towards his family somehow makes him less of a father figure. He keeps himself and personal thoughts distant from the rest of the Bennett family.
Great post
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Thank you! I agree, he’s definitely a more entertaining character than he is an exemplary father.
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I always liked Mr Bennet when I was younger; I loved his sarcastic sense of humour (the 1995 TV adaptation captured it very well, I think) and his relationship with Lizzie. But when I studied the book in uni, our professor pointed out that Mr Bennet is disturbingly unconcerned about the fate of his daughters, and Mrs Bennet is the only person who actually seems to take the danger her daughters face if they’re unmarried when their father dies seriously. Now I don’t know what to think!
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That’s a really good point! I would love to read and discuss P&P with my college lit class– I think I would probably have a lot of different ideas about it. Perhaps Mrs. Bennet isn’t as crazy as she first appears!
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Haha, yeah, I think that’s the conclusion our class came to. 😀
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It’s been a while since I read P&P, but I remember really loving Mr. Bennet!
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Mr. Bennet is definitely entertaining! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
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I’m not a fan of Darcy, at least not until the end and he is less of a jerk; Bingley is definitely the better of the two friends.
Despite his less than stellar approach to parenting, I’ve always have a soft spot for Mr Bennet – he has all the best lines.
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haha that’s exactly how I feel! I just love Mr. Bennet’s wit, even though he’s not a great father figure. As a character, though, I think he’s really well written.
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