The Bennet family is a fictional family created by the English novelist Jane Austen in her 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. The family consists of Mr and Mrs Bennet and their five daughters: Jane, Mary, Catherine, Lydia, and Elizabeth, who is the novel's protagonist.
The family belongs to the landed gentry of Hertfordshire in the Regency era of English history. The relationships between the Bennets influence the evolution of the plot as they navigate the difficulties faced by young women in attempting to secure a good future through marriage.
Estate The Bennet estate, Longbourn House, consists of a residence and land located within the environs of the fictional town of Meryton, in Hertfordshire, just north of London. From his family estate, Mr Bennet derives an annual income of £2,000. Longbourn has an entailment upon it, meant to keep the estate intact and in the sole possession of the family, down the male line, rather than being divided amongst younger sons and any daughters; it is to be passed down amongst first male heirs only. This legal restriction could only remain valid if renewed in each generation by a strict settlement, usually entered into by each heir to an estate on attaining their majority. Mr Bennet is understood to have entered into such a settlement himself before his marriage, but, at the time that the events of the book take place, he wishes to end the entail entirely. For years, Mr and Mrs Bennet had hoped to raise a son who, on reaching age 21, would join with Mr Bennet in barring the entail by common recovery in an agreement that would provide income for him, his widow, and any other children they might have. Mr Bennet does not get along with his then-closest living male relative, his distant cousin Mr Collins (Sr.), who is described as an "illiterate miser", and does not want the estate to be given to him. After 23 years of marriage, Mr Bennet remains the last male scion of the older branch of the Bennet family, meaning that the estate will pass in default according the strict settlement, to the nearest direct male descendent in the younger branch, now represented by Mr William Collins, rector of Hunsford; Mr Collins (Sr.) having recently died.
Paternal branch
The book does not elaborate on the ancestors of Mr Bennet besides mentioning that neither his father nor grandfather is still living. The only family mentioned in the book is the Collins family--a father and son--who are described as Mr Bennet's "distant" cousins.
Mr Bennet
Mr Bennet, the patriarch of the Bennet family, is a landed gentleman. He is married to Mrs Bennet, the daughter of a Meryton attorney (the late Mr Gardiner Sr.), who brought £5,000 into the marriage as her marriage settlement.Baker, William. "Critical Companion to Jane Austen: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work". Facts on File, 2008, p.407. Together they have five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth ("Lizzy"), Mary, Catherine ("Kitty"), and Lydia. None of the daughters are married at the beginning of the novel. The property constituting Mrs Bennet's marriage settlement is not incorporated into the Longbourn estate; and so would not be covered by the legal entail, but could be disposed of amongst the daughters following the deaths of Mr and Mrs Bennet. Mr Bennet had entered into a strict settlement before his marriage which, had he had sisters and brothers, would then have provided dowries and portions for them; but apparently did not then also include provision from the Longbourn estate for marriage portions for future daughters yet to be born to the couple; as these are expected to be specified in a counterpart strict settlement at their son and heir's coming of age. But as the Bennet's do not have a son and heir, so there is now no possibility of the estate paying dowries for the Bennet's five daughters. As a result of this, young men were dissuaded from marrying her daughters.
Mrs Bennet is eager to find husbands for her daughters. Mr Bennet makes no effort to change the behaviour of his wife or his younger daughters, being more intent on "enjoying the show".
Characterisation Mr Bennet is described in his first appearance in the book as "so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character," and it is this same ironic, cynical, dry, wry sense of humour that irritates his wife.
The narrator points out Mr Bennet's many acts of negligence regarding his duties as husband and father. If he draws the sympathy of the reader by his skill at irony, he has nevertheless faults: indifferent and irresponsible, self-centered, stubborn, indolent, and a dislike of company. Mr Bennet admits he married a silly girl, but he has, for his part, largely given up his social role as pater familias. His disengagement is symbolised by his withdrawing into his library and hiding behind cynical mockery.
Although Mr Bennet is portrayed as an intelligent man, his indolence, lethargy, and indifference results in him opting to spend his free time ridiculing the weaknesses of others (ironically) rather than addressing his own problems. His irresponsibility in not saving from his income places his family in the position of being potentially homeless and resourceless when he dies. He recognises this but does nothing.
He regards the world with an ironic detachment. When he is involved in a social event, such as the ball at Netherfield, he is a silent and amused witness of the blunders of his family. Even the discovery of Darcy's role in Lydia's marriage only draws an exclamation of relief from him: "So much the better. It will save me a world of trouble and economy."
Relationship with his wife Mr Bennet has a closer relationship with Mrs Bennet's "poor nerves" than Mrs Bennet herself, referring to them as his old friends, stating: "You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least."
In volume 2, chapter 19, it is revealed that Mr Bennet had only married his wife based on an initial attraction to her: [Mr Bennet] captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour, which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman, whose weak understanding, and illiberal mind, had, very early in the marriage, put an end to any real affection for her. Respect, esteem, and confidence, had vanished forever; and all of his views of domestic happiness were overthrown. But Mr Bennet was not of a disposition to seek 'comfort' for the disappointment which his own imprudence had brought on, in any of those pleasures which too often console the unfortunate of their folly or vice. He was fond of the country and of books, and from these tastes had arisen his principal enjoyments.
Mr Bennet openly favours Jane and Elizabeth due to their steadier temperaments; he actively distances himself from his wife and younger daughters' anxieties and frivolities whenever possible.
Relationship with Elizabeth Elizabeth and Mr Bennet have a close bond, which is apparent to everyone in the family. Mrs Bennet, in one of her many quasi-hysterical moments, turns on her husband and exclaims: "I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others, and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference," to which he replies; "They have none of them much to recommend them ... they are all silly and ignorant like other girls, but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters."
Despite the fact that his daughter must marry in order to be able to continue living the life of a gentlewoman, Mr Bennet appears, for the most part, unconcerned. He supports Elizabeth's rejection of Mr Collins’ marriage proposal due to his dislike of the man and the differences in his and Elizabeth's personalities. This conflicts with his wife's opinion, as she is furious with Elizabeth for ruining their family's chance at financial security.
Maternal branch
Mrs Bennet, born a Gardiner and married for twenty-three years at the start of the novel, is the daughter of an attorney in Meryton. She has a brother and a sister, both married. Though equally vulgar, ignorant, thoughtless, tasteless and gossipy, the marriages of the two sisters have resulted in them moving in different circles: one (Mrs Bennet) marries a member of the local gentry, and the other (Mrs Phillips) marries one of her late father's law clerks, while their naturally genteel brother pursues an education and a higher social status in general trade in London.
Mrs Bennet Mrs Bennet () is the middle-aged wife of her social superior, Mr Bennet, and the mother of their five daughters.
Mrs Bennet is described in the book as shameless, frivolous, and very "silly" ("[Mrs Bennet's] mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news' ... [Mr Bennet], captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour, which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman, whose weak understanding, and illiberal mind, had, very early in the marriage, put an end to any real affection for her").
She is susceptible to attacks of "tremors and palpitations", which occur whenever she is defensive or displeased. She is also prone to flights of fancy, flights of pique and melodrama, believing herself to regularly ill-used, talking loudly of it.
Her personal fortune inherited from her father amounted to £4,000 which was sufficient money for an individual of her condition, but it was not enough to support her children as well. In addition, she has a life interest in her marriage settlement of £5,000, invested in 4% funds, the capital for which is bound by the terms of the settlement to be distributed to her children at her death.
Relationships with her daughters Her favourite daughter is her youngest, Lydia, who takes very much after her. After Lydia, her next favourite is her eldest, Jane, although she primarily values her for her great physical beauty, rarely considering Jane's feelings. Her least favourite daughter is Elizabeth (closely followed by Mary) whom she does not understand (or like) at all; when Mr Collins was directing his "enraptured heart" at Elizabeth, Mrs Bennet thought them both together a perfect match purely because she does not like either of them: Of having [Elizabeth] married to Mr. Collins, [Mrs. Bennet] thought with equal certainty, and with considerable, though not equal, pleasure. Elizabeth was the least dear to her of all her children; and though the man and the match were quite 'good enough' for her, the worth of each was eclipsed by Mr. Bingley and Netherfield.
Characterisation
Mrs Bennet's favourite pastimes are shopping and socialising. Of the Gardiner siblings, Mrs Bennet had the best wedding, since she married a member of the local gentry, owner of an estate with an income of £2000 annually. Mrs Bennet does not understand why her husband could do nothing to change the fate of the estate (despite it having been explained to her numerous times (she assumes that he simply won't change it on purpose to stress her "poor nerves")), since it clouded his future and that of his daughters, given that she and her husband were unable to have a boy. They had hoped for years, even after the birth of Lydia, for the son who would have allowed to put an end to the entail, but they only had girls.