Do you think that Austen makes it possible to feel sympathy for Mrs. Bennet? Essay

It is my opinion that in the novel Pride and Prejudice, Austen does not make it possible to feel sympathy for Mrs. Bennet as much as feeling a certain fondness for her and her silly ways. She is a very amusing and lovable character, and this is exactly what makes her so exciting to read about. From the very beginning, Austen portrays her as a rather silly and superficial woman. Within the first chapter, she paints complete portrait of her character in jut a few lines. â€Å"She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper.† The reader, at this point, does not know quite what to make of her, until Austen declares, â€Å"when she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous† and one immediately falls in love with her. â€Å"The business of her life was to see her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news† further conveys how very superficial she is, yet somehow retains the quintessence of being extremely humorous. Mrs. Bennet is one of the principal characters that help set the feel for the entire novel. There lies a sharp contrast between Mrs. Bennet and her husband, who is â€Å"so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humor, reserve and caprice,† that he quickly loses interest in his wife after the novelty of being newlywed wears off. He subsequently found ways to amuse himself by frustrating his wife constantly. The reader always takes delight in these tiny conspiracies against Mrs. Bennet. For example, when Mrs. Bennet tried to tell her husband about a very eligible bachelor who had just moved into Netherfield, Mr. Bennet feigned disinterest to purposely aggravate her. He then declares that he shall do no such thing as paying Mr. Bingley a visit. The next day, while Mrs. Bingley laments over not having a proper chance to be introduced, and how they will never have such a golden opportunity pass their way again, Mr. Bennet stuns everyone by saying that there is no need for anyone to introduce them, for he has taken care of that himself. Mrs.’s Bennet’s reaction, subsequently, was enormously funny, and that is one of the things that arguably make her the most memorable character in the novel. Her awkward ways, however, have not spared her and her family from embarrassment. She could be rather socially awkward at times, and later Darcy goes on to tell Elizabeth that one of the many reasons her was reluctant to marry her was because of her mother’s awkward behavior around him and others. There were also times when her â€Å"meanness of understanding† could not be masked, and conversations oft turned awkward when she took offence over nothing. For example, when Darcy was speaking about how there is a greater variety of people in the city, Mrs. Bennet thought that he was slandering the village folk and claimed that they â€Å"dine with some four-and-twenty families† at Meryton. Despite all her faults, the reader falls in love with Mrs. Bennet and her â€Å"poor nerves.† Austen has maneuvered her writing flawlessly and portrays Mrs. Bennet’s character beautifully. She is one of the most entertaining characters of Austen’s novel; there is no need to feel sympathy for her, as she is a very superficial woman who does not reflect too deeply on her feelings.