Friday, February 3, 2012

Oh, That Witty Bennet Banter.

In class, we've been talking mostly about the main characters like Jane, Elizabeth, Mr. Collins, Mr. Darcy, and now Mr. Wickham. While these characters remain interesting to me and I'm getting more into the story, I am still intrigued with the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Mrs. Bennet, who has been preoccuppied with all the gossip so far in the novel, is a brilliant contrast to Mr. Bennet, who cares more about the happiness of his daughters than with the potential for them to marry in a higher class. Ever since the novel opened introducing the two, I have enjoyed their back-and-forth banter with each other. Mr. Bennet seems to want nothing more than to annoy his wife with sarcastic comments, and she falls right into that perfectly, especially in the opening scene when they are discussing the arrival of Mr. Bingley.

Another scene I enjoyed was the scene when Mrs. Bennet becomes infuriated with Elizabeth for declining Mr. Collin's marriage proposal. As she threatens Elizabeth that she "will never see her again," if she doesn't accept Mr. Collins offer, Mr. Bennet counters that with if Elizabeth does marry Mr. Collins, he will never see her again. It's a great juxtaposition between these characters, even if Austen's only objective for them in the novel is to create humor for the reader.

Personally, I am enjoying this novel so far. I didn't want to make a judgment too quickly after reading the fist section, but I am liking the different characters a lot more than the ones from Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. I also find a lot more potential in the plot of this story, while also hoping the ending is better and not just abruptly stopped.

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