A Mothers Love in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Essay Example

It is not surprised upon hearing the news that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have become engaged that Mrs. Bennett is overwhelmed with emotion.  The passage that contains her initial response to the news occurs in chapter 17 (320-321) and is so full of exclamation marks that the author couldn’t even finish a sentence before finding it necessary to insert another one.

  This is seen in her opening words: “Lord bless me! only think! dear me! Mr. Darcy!” (320).  In this one sentence alone, there are four instances of exclamation marks, a punctuation tool that only rarely makes an appearance otherwise and expresses a level of emotion inconsistent with the controlled and polite society of upper-class England at the time.  In the entire passage of approximately 19 sentences (an arbitrary number depending upon whether one counts completion of thought or punctuation as the end of the thought), there are only seven that end with a period or question mark.

  This highlights Mrs. Bennett’s crass nature in her inability to remain within the proper bounds of emotional expression.  It is a nature that had Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley concerned regarding whether either of her daughters was a suitable match, having accurately identified their mother as a materialistic social climber.   Once she has expressed some of her initial excitement, Mrs. Bennett begins to reveal the motivations behind this emotional outburst.  “My sweetest Lizzy! how rich and how great you will be! What pin money; what jewels, what carriages you will have!” (320).  In referencing pin money, what would today perhaps be referred to more accurately as spending money, Mrs. Bennett is referring to one of the few financial freedoms women had and can therefore perhaps be said to be interested in her daughter’s welfare had she stopped with this statement.  However, there is no concern in this sentence for Lizzy’s happiness or physical welfare, no wistful idea of her daughter moving away from her as was expressed with the removal of the frivolous and foolish Lydia, and no concern regarding the character of the man her daughter is to marry.