Your Imaginary Friend ([info]rocksee) wrote in [info]pridenprejudice,
@ 2008-05-31 12:17:00
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Questions
Because I'm eager to actually see a post on this community that is NOT some annoying icon spamming post...

I've always wondered this: How do you think Mrs. Bennet was in her youth? In other words, what might have been Mr. Bennet's impression of her since he made the decision to marry her? Perhaps she was minding her P's and Q's or maybe she was just more charming in her youth. I know she makes mention of Lydia being most like her, but I can't really see how Mr. Bennet would have been attracted to that.

Another question: Why hadn't Bingley been more keen on hooking Darcy up with Ms. Bingley?

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[info]styromgalleries
2008-05-31 07:21 pm UTC (link)
I'll say something in answer to the second question.

I don't think Mr. Bingley would have been taken in by his sister. He may have been gentle and forgiving, but he would know how she is. Jane is sweet, but you know that she understands the danger her sister Lydia poses to her family.

In my opinion, Bingley wouldn't wish his sister on his best friend. Also, he probably had some idea of what Darcy thought of Caroline and if Darcy didn't love her, then Bingley wouldn't have wanted to push Caroline on him.

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[info]tngerinedream19
2008-05-31 07:34 pm UTC (link)
a thoughtless response to your first query: i think mr. bennett was intrigued by [the later to become] mrs. bennett's impulsivity and perhaps thought it best to select a person to marry who could never surprise him.

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[info]digne
2008-05-31 09:22 pm UTC (link)
Mr. Bennet is often said to be an INTP (Myers-Briggs personality type). It stands for Introverted-Intuitive-Thinking-Perceiver.

Here is a bit of Keirsey-Bates on NT types that fits Mr. Bennet here to a tee!

"At times, the NT seems to stand beside instead of in the stream of life, seeming to watch bemusedly as the river flows by -- a little distanced, a little detached, a little uninvolved. This distancing sometimes causes the NT to make personal commitments which he later regrets. In particular, the NT whose 'feeling' is not developed can become involved with members of the opposite sex who might be totally unsuitable as life companions."

(from Please Understand Me: Character and Temperment Types - by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates - link is to newer edition)

The book then goes on to quote a passage from C.S. Forester, "Hornblower and the Hotspur" when Hornblower is at the alter having doubts about the suitability of his marriage to Maria Ellen. Hornblower sees the match as being ill-considered, but sees no way to get out of it. Nothing else to do but go through with it.


It fun to figure out Myers-Briggs types in Austen's books. In P&P Elisabeth is an INFJ Darcy is an INTJ Bingley is an ESFP Lydia is an ESTP ...

It is believed Austen herself was an INTJ.

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[info]rocksee
2008-05-31 10:14 pm UTC (link)
Wow! That was well-thought out! And very interesting. Thanks for that perspective. I have so many more thoughts on this, but now I'm stuck reading this website. :)

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[info]digne
2008-06-01 02:02 am UTC (link)
As soon as you put together your thoughts of this topic, please share.

Myers-Briggs is so true to life. It helps me understand other people, as well as to understand myself. Austen's characters are so psychologically true that when examined in Myers-Briggs they fit.

I forgot to post this link: Jane Austen meets Carl Jung: Pride, Prejudice, and Personality Theory It's an examination of Darcy and Elizabeth's Myers-Briggs types. Very interesting!

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[info]valancy_s
2008-06-02 03:49 pm UTC (link)
And for added fun, in the Hornblower movies his unsuitable fiancée is played by Lydia!

(Which in no way relates to the issue under discussion.)

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[info]digne
2008-06-02 05:45 pm UTC (link)
TOO FUNNY!

I really need to see Hornblower, I missed them when they were shown on A&E here.

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[info]dreamybritactor
2008-05-31 08:20 pm UTC (link)
As for Mr. Bennet, I think he saw her youth and beauty and didn't know her true personality until after he married. He probably thought her girlish ways were cute and thought she would outgrow them after marriage. She didn't. Look out Wickham, you married your mother-in-law because I think Lydia is and was just like her mother.

Bingley knows that Darcy and his sister won't suit. I think Bingley does care for both his sister and his friend and wouldn't think of getting the two of them together.

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[info]emstapole
2008-06-01 12:02 am UTC (link)
Because Bingley was a little over powered by Darcy? I always thought that Bingley was a little overwhelmed by his friend.

And perhaps he knew more about the Georgiana and ... oh God. Mental blank. Completely blank.

Also, Darcy never seemed very interested in hooking Georgiana and Bingley. I think the marriages between the two families were only the interests of Miss Bingley and her sister... who's name also escapes me.

It would not surprise me if the Bennets were an arranged marriage, or that he fell helplessly in love with her... Or perhaps he got her pregnant... Dunno.

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[info]eyja
2008-06-02 07:04 pm UTC (link)
Well, if it was an arranged marriage, it would have helped Mrs. Bennet far more than Mr. Bennet as Mr. Bennet is of higher class than Mrs. Bennet's family.

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[info]emstapole
2008-06-02 09:07 pm UTC (link)
Mr Bennet would have had as little say as Mrs if it was arranged

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[info]ibrenesm
2008-06-02 09:35 pm UTC (link)
Hello, I'm mew here so I'm inaugurating with this post.

Well, Mrs. Bennet may have been of a very nice family if not well off monetarily speaking. And let's take into account that Mr. Bennet, although a gentleman, is of little fortune (that being the main objection Lady Catherine presents when she finds out that Elizabeth is supposedly marrying Mr. Darcy). He may have been guided by the fact that he could not afford to have wife with an outstanding position (like Willoughby and Ms. Grey in "Sense and Sensibility")and was forced to work with what he had -in this case, a very beautiful but empty headed Mrs. Bennet. And let us not forget that he was young and inexperienced and perhaps he did not take too much time to get to know Mrs. Bennet before asking for her hand in marriage, very much like Charlotte and Mr. Collins engagement period.

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