Mr. and Mrs. Bennett: how would you like them as your parents? Which of the two is a better parent? (Keep track of textual evidence that supports your opinion.)
This one was a tough call because much like in real life, both parents have pretty admirable qualities which makes it hard to choose the parent you prefer...
For instance, I love that both parents are so involved in their daughters' lives. I love Mr. Bennett's dry humor and ability to put a humorous twist on a negative situation. As for Mrs. Bennett, she reminds me of the moms on "Bridget Jones' Diary" and "Because I Said So" (both fabulous movies if you haven't already seen them),but getting back to the point, all three of the mothers are very into their daughters' lives. The three constantly try to find the perfect match for their daughter and then see to it that a meeting is arranged.
With this being said, overall I think I would prefer to have the Bennett daughters' mother than their father. My reason being that Mr. Bennett tends to lose his spunk at very important moments and becomes detatched when he needs to be a father the most. For instance, when Lydia elopes, Mr. Bennett doesn't really seem to take any action. Mr. Bennett would almost rather just let things happen than to maturely deal with them. I personally, could not handle having a dad that reacted like this. Most children do things simply for the attention anyway, eloping being a big attention grabber, and for him to not react makes it seem like he's just ignoring the issue and doesn't want to give his daughter the reaction she wants...love...constant love.
I think the Bennets are good parents, its not easy raising 5 daughters, raising kids at all. Mrs. Bennet does have the best intentions for her daughters, however when she tried to make Elizabeth marry Mr. Collins she wasn't really thinking of her daughter's happiness so much as her daughter's future status. She seems to be sooo caught up in getting her daughters married that she tends to turn-off the possible suitors from wanting to be in the same family with her.
Mr. Bennet starts off in the novel as rather humorous:
"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." (Ch. 20 p. 111)
That was one of my favorite lines from the novel because it reminded me of how my dad would handle the situation.
However, as the novel continues, Mr. Bennet seems to draw himself away form his daughters not wanting to get caught up in the marriage chaos. With 5 daughters to send off into the real world, you think as they'd get older and not see them as much that he would want to be more involved.
Adults who bring children into the world take on a huge responsibility. They've signed up to essentially play a huge role into shaping us into the people that we're supposed to become. They instill in us the values and morals and then we're released to decide for ourselves what choices are right for us. I would have to say that I would prefer to have Mr. Bennet as my parental figure. Mrs. Bennet is so wrapped up in making sure her daughters are married and economically stable, and not so much worried that they are truly happy or understand and love who they are. Mrs. Bennet does not worry about teaching that it's important to be true to oneself, only that it is important to be married and of high status. However, with the answer to Mr. Collin's proposal pending, Mr. Bennet calls Elizabeth to him and says, "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. -- Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." I think that Mr. Bennet is much more focused on teaching Elizabeth that she has to do what she wants, to stay true to herself and not worry what everyone expects of her. To me that kind of lesson is one of the most valuable that a parent can ever give a child before they are sent out on their own.
To be completely honest, I think that Mrs. Bennet would drive me CRAZY as a mother. I know that it is in the best interest for her daughters to urge them to get married and find a stable home, however at times I believe she gets a little too carried away. For instance, when Bingley left for London and showed no sign of any return soon, Mrs. Bennet simply would not let Jane forget it. Jane's temperate and modest attitude allowed her to conceal her feelings towards her mother, but Jane does mention to Elizabeth at how her mothers words are affecting her. She says,"That my dear mother had more command over herself; she can have no idea the pain she gives me by her continual reflections on him"(132). I think that Mr. Bennet is a bit less active and involved as the Mrs. I think he may have a little more sense in some cases as well. When Elizabeth refuses Mr. Collin's proposal, Mrs. Bennet is infuriated. Mrs. Bennet was not concerned that her daughter would be completely miserable (even though well off money wise) if she married him. When Mrs. Bennet urges Mr. Bennet to convince Elizabeth to marry Collins, Mr. Bennet says, "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do NOT marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you DO" (110). This liking to Mr. Bennett may be the result of my personal partiality to my own father over my mother, however. I also realized I kind of repeated what Erin said with that one quote, but I do agree!
Looking at these responses are kind of funny, because everyone has a general same opinion, but there are some surprises.
Anyway...both parents to me have their good and their bad qualities. Mrs. Bennett is JUST like my mother. She is overprotective, yet still wants the best for her daughters. And she thinks she needs to be SOO involved in their lives, that sometimes she can almost push them over the edge. But this is a very caring parent, and i'm sure that just about any good mother would be this same exact way.
Mr. Bennett also reminds me EXACTLY of my dad. He has a dry sense of humor..."An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do (111)." And he acts exactly as my father would in just about every situation. I love it in the beginning when he plays it off like he could care less about wanting to meet Bingley, and he really snuck and met him without their knowing. That's totally something my dad would do.
And it's really weird that you posted this question, because i was just thinking the other day if my parents got a divorce who i would want to live with (not that they're planning on it or anything thank GOD). But that would probably be the hardest decision of my life. But i guess if i had to pick a "better" parent, it would be Mrs. Bennett just because she is so in to her children, and everyone needs an involved parent, because that just means that they care a lot about you. but then again, i know my dad loves me with all his heart, but he just has a different way of showing it...
I think both Mr. and Mrs. Bennet both have both positive and negative parenting skills. Mr. Bennet’s positive parenting skill is that he supports the decisions the daughter’s make for themselves. I also like Mr. Bennet’s sarcastic sense of humor. His sarcasm is prominently seen when he talks to Elizabeth about Jane’s lost love. Mr. Bennet says “Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then.” (119). Although this could be seen as rude by some people, I think Mr. Bennet makes these comments because of his trouble expressing how he really feels, which could also be seen as a negative part of his parenting characteristics. Because he often uses sarcasm to express how he feels, sometimes you have trouble knowing whether he is saying it to be rude, or saying it to be humurous.
Mrs. Bennet is also a very caring parent, but in other ways. It is very obvious that Mrs. Bennet wants the best for her daughters, the only problem with that is what she thinks is best isn’t always best. Mrs. Bennet is mainly focused on setting her daughter’s up with a man who will give them a good social status, and doesn’t realize that what her daughter’s want is true love and happiness. Overall I think Mrs. Bennet is a better parents, because although she isn’t always right, she only wants her daughter’s to be set for life, even if it is through a forced marriage.
In my opinion, I really don’t think I could stand living in the same house as Mrs. Bennet. She is the ultimate smother mother. I understand her desire to have her children’s futures secure through marriage, but she really goes too far to get ‘em hitched. Several times she embarrasses both herself and her entire family. At Netherfield, while visiting a sick Jane, Mrs. Bennet makes a fool of herself as she goes on and on talking about how wonderful and beautiful Jane is. At a ball in chapter 18, Mrs. Bennet speaks very loudly about her hopes for a marriage between Jane and Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth was embarrassed for her since her mother doesn’t seem to have a enough common sense to be embarrassed for herself. Not only that, but when Mr. Bingley is apparently not going to return to Netherfield for quite some time, Mrs. Bennet obliviously pours salt in Jane’s wound by bemoaning Jane’s lost love.
Mr. Bennet, on the other hand, is a much more rational parent. He’s got a dry sense of humor and an even temperament towards his daughters’ marital state. Although sometimes he seems rather distant in their lives, I think that he is trying to balance out their mother’s overinvolvment by trying to let them make their own decisions. I think he was involved in their lives by helping them to form their own opinions about marriage and love. You can tell that he doesn’t quite agree with Mrs. Bennet’s views on marriage from his comment that "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do."
Mr. and Mrs. Bennett would be very interesting parents. On one hand, you have the parent who is constantly on your back about everything, and on the other hand, you have a parent who is very hands off who lets you make your own decisions. Raising five girls is very stressful, and I can understand how crazy their lives might get sometimes. However, I think Mrs. Bennett is a little over protective and pushy; therefore, I would choose Mr. Bennett any day over Mrs. Bennett. The one line that makes me just love Mr. Bennet is when is says, “from this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. -- Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." This one statement makes him the perfect father in my opinion. He knows his daughter Elizabeth does not love Mr. Collins, and she definitely does not want to marry him. By letting Elizabeth make her own decisions and not forcing her into anything, I believe that Mr. Bennet is by far the better parent.
When considering this question, it was important for me to weigh the various characteristics of both parents. How would each of these parents fit into my own life? How would my life be different? Would I agree with the decisions they would be making for me?
When considering these things, I came to the conclusion that, like other posts, I would find Mrs. Bennet seriously irritable. I would most likely run away if she were my parent. Ha. But in the family I grew up in, money and status were not taught to be the most important values. Love and the dignity of a person is what I have been taught to value. It would be hard for me to adapt to Mrs. Bennet's perspective on 'what makes a good life' for a person. I have been taught that the poorest of the poor can be among the highest quality of people in the world, while the richest can sin and turn their backs when called to do good.
In resepct to Mr. Bennet, I would also find some of his characteristics irritable. There are time, in conversations with his wife, that he seemingly talks down to her in front of their children. In Chapter 20, when Mrs. Bennet rushes into the library where Mr. Bennet is, he acts almost with disregard to her urgency. "Mr. Bennet raised his eyes from his book as she entered, and fixed them on her face with a calm unconcern which was not in the least altered by her communication." In my opinion, I would not appreciate such a reaction and seeming disconcern in my father. Also, Mr. Bennet is extremely sarcastic in times of serious matter. When thinking of characteristics I appreciate in my parents, it is important that they are able to support, comfort, and help me in my times of need.
Because of these various characteristics, I believe Mrs. Bennet is the better parent, because of her over-involved attitude toward her daughters, a trait I value more than Mr. Bennet's disregard.
Ok, everyone is saying all this stuff about how hard it is to be a parent blah blah blah im sure it is but honestly I think Mrs. Bennett is annoying and pushy. I think that I would much rather have Mr. Bennett as a parent (hopefully I’d be lizzy so he’d like me the best). I think it IS good that they are both involved but I think Mrs. Bennett tries too hard. After Mrs. Bennett talks to the Mr. Bennett about going to meet Bingley and he says no she is very bitter and upset and she said “We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes, since we are not to visit.” She is so pushy and demanding about things. She also seems to be sort of dumb. Mr. Bennett seems to like the idea of letting the girls do things and make decisions for themselves.
I would definitely prefer Mr. Bennett over Mrs. Bennett. Mrs. Bennett is melodramatic and a nagger. When Lydia runs away with Wickham Mrs. Bennett is “frightened out of [her] wits” (213). I know mothers should worry about their children but not so much that you have health problems. Mr. Bennett is more my style. He is laid back and willing to listen. He even jokes around with Mrs. Bennett about going to “see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighborhood” (2).He also tells Elizabeth that if she marries Mr. Collins he will not talk to her while Mrs. Bennett states the opposite.
I would definitely prefer Mr. Bennett over Mrs. Bennett. Mrs. Bennett is melodramatic and a nagger. When Lydia runs away with Wickham Mrs. Bennett is “frightened out of [her] wits” (213). I know mothers should worry about their children but not so much that you have health problems. Mr. Bennett is more my style. He is laid back and willing to listen. He even jokes around with Mrs. Bennett about going to “see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighborhood” (2).He also tells Elizabeth that if she marries Mr. Collins he will not talk to her while Mrs. Bennett states the opposite.
I don't think I would like to have the Bennets as my parents. They don't get along very well together. Or I should say that Mrs. Bennet runs the show. Mr. Bennet only steps up when he feels it is absolutely necessary. I think that Mr. Bennet is the better parent though; unlike Mrs. Bennet he only wants the girls to be truly happy. He steps back and lets them make their own mistakes. He also gives advice when they need it. Mrs. Bennet on the other hand pushes the girls into marriages that they don't know they want. When Elizabeth decides not to marry Mr. Collins, Mrs. Bennet says "I will never see her again"(111). Mrs. Bennet only wants the best for her daughters but I think she goes about it too strong for my liking.
I believe that both of the Bennets are completely opposite extremes...if that makes sense? Mrs. Bennet is extremely involved in her daughters lives and decisions, and sometimes comes across as if she cares TOO much. It's kind of like if I was dating a poor guy and my mom disapproved just because she wanted me to be wealthy rather than being truly happy. I'm really not making any sense..Anyways. Mr. Bennet is also extreme in the sense that he seems extremely uninvolved in his daughters lives and decisions. I guess not EXTREMELY uninvolved, but one of those fathers who, like Corinne said, we know loves his daughers - just has a different way of showing it. He seems rather standoff-ish, and rarely shows concern with which paths his daughters are leading themselves down.
However, I do think if I had to choose one parent, I would choose Mr. Bennet, just because I think if I had to live with Mrs. Bennet I would go absolutely insane. Just reading about her gave me a headache. But, I think both parents need to find a happy medium.
Is it wrong if I say I would really choose neither? I'd rather live by myself.
15 comments:
This one was a tough call because much like in real life, both parents have pretty admirable qualities which makes it hard to choose the parent you prefer...
For instance, I love that both parents are so involved in their daughters' lives. I love Mr. Bennett's dry humor and ability to put a humorous twist on a negative situation. As for Mrs. Bennett, she reminds me of the moms on "Bridget Jones' Diary" and "Because I Said So" (both fabulous movies if you haven't already seen them),but getting back to the point, all three of the mothers are very into their daughters' lives. The three constantly try to find the perfect match for their daughter and then see to it that a meeting is arranged.
With this being said, overall I think I would prefer to have the Bennett daughters' mother than their father. My reason being that Mr. Bennett tends to lose his spunk at very important moments and becomes detatched when he needs to be a father the most. For instance, when Lydia elopes, Mr. Bennett doesn't really seem to take any action. Mr. Bennett would almost rather just let things happen than to maturely deal with them. I personally, could not handle having a dad that reacted like this. Most children do things simply for the attention anyway, eloping being a big attention grabber, and for him to not react makes it seem like he's just ignoring the issue and doesn't want to give his daughter the reaction she wants...love...constant love.
I think the Bennets are good parents, its not easy raising 5 daughters, raising kids at all. Mrs. Bennet does have the best intentions for her daughters, however when she tried to make Elizabeth marry Mr. Collins she wasn't really thinking of her daughter's happiness so much as her daughter's future status. She seems to be sooo caught up in getting her daughters married that she tends to turn-off the possible suitors from wanting to be in the same family with her.
Mr. Bennet starts off in the novel as rather humorous:
"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." (Ch. 20 p. 111)
That was one of my favorite lines from the novel because it reminded me of how my dad would handle the situation.
However, as the novel continues, Mr. Bennet seems to draw himself away form his daughters not wanting to get caught up in the marriage chaos. With 5 daughters to send off into the real world, you think as they'd get older and not see them as much that he would want to be more involved.
Fiddle sticks, I forgot to answer the actual question. I think Mrs. Bennet is the better parent. Sorry.
Adults who bring children into the world take on a huge responsibility. They've signed up to essentially play a huge role into shaping us into the people that we're supposed to become. They instill in us the values and morals and then we're released to decide for ourselves what choices are right for us. I would have to say that I would prefer to have Mr. Bennet as my parental figure. Mrs. Bennet is so wrapped up in making sure her daughters are married and economically stable, and not so much worried that they are truly happy or understand and love who they are. Mrs. Bennet does not worry about teaching that it's important to be true to oneself, only that it is important to be married and of high status. However, with the answer to Mr. Collin's proposal pending, Mr. Bennet calls Elizabeth to him and says, "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. -- Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." I think that Mr. Bennet is much more focused on teaching Elizabeth that she has to do what she wants, to stay true to herself and not worry what everyone expects of her. To me that kind of lesson is one of the most valuable that a parent can ever give a child before they are sent out on their own.
To be completely honest, I think that Mrs. Bennet would drive me CRAZY as a mother. I know that it is in the best interest for her daughters to urge them to get married and find a stable home, however at times I believe she gets a little too carried away. For instance, when Bingley left for London and showed no sign of any return soon, Mrs. Bennet simply would not let Jane forget it. Jane's temperate and modest attitude allowed her to conceal her feelings towards her mother, but Jane does mention to Elizabeth at how her mothers words are affecting her. She says,"That my dear mother had more command over herself; she can have no idea the pain she gives me by her continual reflections on him"(132).
I think that Mr. Bennet is a bit less active and involved as the Mrs. I think he may have a little more sense in some cases as well.
When Elizabeth refuses Mr. Collin's proposal, Mrs. Bennet is infuriated. Mrs. Bennet was not concerned that her daughter would be completely miserable (even though well off money wise) if she married him. When Mrs. Bennet urges Mr. Bennet to convince Elizabeth to marry Collins, Mr. Bennet says, "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do NOT marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you DO" (110).
This liking to Mr. Bennett may be the result of my personal partiality to my own father over my mother, however.
I also realized I kind of repeated what Erin said with that one quote, but I do agree!
Looking at these responses are kind of funny, because everyone has a general same opinion, but there are some surprises.
Anyway...both parents to me have their good and their bad qualities. Mrs. Bennett is JUST like my mother. She is overprotective, yet still wants the best for her daughters. And she thinks she needs to be SOO involved in their lives, that sometimes she can almost push them over the edge. But this is a very caring parent, and i'm sure that just about any good mother would be this same exact way.
Mr. Bennett also reminds me EXACTLY of my dad. He has a dry sense of humor..."An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do (111)." And he acts exactly as my father would in just about every situation. I love it in the beginning when he plays it off like he could care less about wanting to meet Bingley, and he really snuck and met him without their knowing. That's totally something my dad would do.
And it's really weird that you posted this question, because i was just thinking the other day if my parents got a divorce who i would want to live with (not that they're planning on it or anything thank GOD). But that would probably be the hardest decision of my life. But i guess if i had to pick a "better" parent, it would be Mrs. Bennett just because she is so in to her children, and everyone needs an involved parent, because that just means that they care a lot about you. but then again, i know my dad loves me with all his heart, but he just has a different way of showing it...
I think both Mr. and Mrs. Bennet both have both positive and negative parenting skills. Mr. Bennet’s positive parenting skill is that he supports the decisions the daughter’s make for themselves. I also like Mr. Bennet’s sarcastic sense of humor. His sarcasm is prominently seen when he talks to Elizabeth about Jane’s lost love. Mr. Bennet says “Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then.” (119). Although this could be seen as rude by some people, I think Mr. Bennet makes these comments because of his trouble expressing how he really feels, which could also be seen as a negative part of his parenting characteristics. Because he often uses sarcasm to express how he feels, sometimes you have trouble knowing whether he is saying it to be rude, or saying it to be humurous.
Mrs. Bennet is also a very caring parent, but in other ways. It is very obvious that Mrs. Bennet wants the best for her daughters, the only problem with that is what she thinks is best isn’t always best. Mrs. Bennet is mainly focused on setting her daughter’s up with a man who will give them a good social status, and doesn’t realize that what her daughter’s want is true love and happiness. Overall I think Mrs. Bennet is a better parents, because although she isn’t always right, she only wants her daughter’s to be set for life, even if it is through a forced marriage.
In my opinion, I really don’t think I could stand living in the same house as Mrs. Bennet. She is the ultimate smother mother. I understand her desire to have her children’s futures secure through marriage, but she really goes too far to get ‘em hitched. Several times she embarrasses both herself and her entire family. At Netherfield, while visiting a sick Jane, Mrs. Bennet makes a fool of herself as she goes on and on talking about how wonderful and beautiful Jane is. At a ball in chapter 18, Mrs. Bennet speaks very loudly about her hopes for a marriage between Jane and Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth was embarrassed for her since her mother doesn’t seem to have a enough common sense to be embarrassed for herself. Not only that, but when Mr. Bingley is apparently not going to return to Netherfield for quite some time, Mrs. Bennet obliviously pours salt in Jane’s wound by bemoaning Jane’s lost love.
Mr. Bennet, on the other hand, is a much more rational parent. He’s got a dry sense of humor and an even temperament towards his daughters’ marital state. Although sometimes he seems rather distant in their lives, I think that he is trying to balance out their mother’s overinvolvment by trying to let them make their own decisions. I think he was involved in their lives by helping them to form their own opinions about marriage and love. You can tell that he doesn’t quite agree with Mrs. Bennet’s views on marriage from his comment that "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do."
In short: Mr. Bennet.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennett would be very interesting parents. On one hand, you have the parent who is constantly on your back about everything, and on the other hand, you have a parent who is very hands off who lets you make your own decisions. Raising five girls is very stressful, and I can understand how crazy their lives might get sometimes. However, I think Mrs. Bennett is a little over protective and pushy; therefore, I would choose Mr. Bennett any day over Mrs. Bennett. The one line that makes me just love Mr. Bennet is when is says, “from this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. -- Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." This one statement makes him the perfect father in my opinion. He knows his daughter Elizabeth does not love Mr. Collins, and she definitely does not want to marry him. By letting Elizabeth make her own decisions and not forcing her into anything, I believe that Mr. Bennet is by far the better parent.
When considering this question, it was important for me to weigh the various characteristics of both parents. How would each of these parents fit into my own life? How would my life be different? Would I agree with the decisions they would be making for me?
When considering these things, I came to the conclusion that, like other posts, I would find Mrs. Bennet seriously irritable. I would most likely run away if she were my parent. Ha. But in the family I grew up in, money and status were not taught to be the most important values. Love and the dignity of a person is what I have been taught to value. It would be hard for me to adapt to Mrs. Bennet's perspective on 'what makes a good life' for a person. I have been taught that the poorest of the poor can be among the highest quality of people in the world, while the richest can sin and turn their backs when called to do good.
In resepct to Mr. Bennet, I would also find some of his characteristics irritable. There are time, in conversations with his wife, that he seemingly talks down to her in front of their children. In Chapter 20, when Mrs. Bennet rushes into the library where Mr. Bennet is, he acts almost with disregard to her urgency. "Mr. Bennet raised his eyes from his book as she entered, and fixed them on her face with a calm unconcern which was not in the least altered by her communication." In my opinion, I would not appreciate such a reaction and seeming disconcern in my father. Also, Mr. Bennet is extremely sarcastic in times of serious matter. When thinking of characteristics I appreciate in my parents, it is important that they are able to support, comfort, and help me in my times of need.
Because of these various characteristics, I believe Mrs. Bennet is the better parent, because of her over-involved attitude toward her daughters, a trait I value more than Mr. Bennet's disregard.
Ok, everyone is saying all this stuff about how hard it is to be a parent blah blah blah im sure it is but honestly I think Mrs. Bennett is annoying and pushy. I think that I would much rather have Mr. Bennett as a parent (hopefully I’d be lizzy so he’d like me the best). I think it IS good that they are both involved but I think Mrs. Bennett tries too hard. After Mrs. Bennett talks to the Mr. Bennett about going to meet Bingley and he says no she is very bitter and upset and she said “We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes, since we are not to visit.” She is so pushy and demanding about things. She also seems to be sort of dumb. Mr. Bennett seems to like the idea of letting the girls do things and make decisions for themselves.
I would definitely prefer Mr. Bennett over Mrs. Bennett. Mrs. Bennett is melodramatic and a nagger. When Lydia runs away with Wickham Mrs. Bennett is “frightened out of [her] wits” (213). I know mothers should worry about their children but not so much that you have health problems. Mr. Bennett is more my style. He is laid back and willing to listen. He even jokes around with Mrs. Bennett about going to “see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighborhood” (2).He also tells Elizabeth that if she marries Mr. Collins he will not talk to her while Mrs. Bennett states the opposite.
I would definitely prefer Mr. Bennett over Mrs. Bennett. Mrs. Bennett is melodramatic and a nagger. When Lydia runs away with Wickham Mrs. Bennett is “frightened out of [her] wits” (213). I know mothers should worry about their children but not so much that you have health problems. Mr. Bennett is more my style. He is laid back and willing to listen. He even jokes around with Mrs. Bennett about going to “see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighborhood” (2).He also tells Elizabeth that if she marries Mr. Collins he will not talk to her while Mrs. Bennett states the opposite.
I don't think I would like to have the Bennets as my parents. They don't get along very well together. Or I should say that Mrs. Bennet runs the show. Mr. Bennet only steps up when he feels it is absolutely necessary. I think that Mr. Bennet is the better parent though; unlike Mrs. Bennet he only wants the girls to be truly happy. He steps back and lets them make their own mistakes. He also gives advice when they need it. Mrs. Bennet on the other hand pushes the girls into marriages that they don't know they want. When Elizabeth decides not to marry Mr. Collins, Mrs. Bennet says "I will never see her again"(111). Mrs. Bennet only wants the best for her daughters but I think she goes about it too strong for my liking.
I believe that both of the Bennets are completely opposite extremes...if that makes sense? Mrs. Bennet is extremely involved in her daughters lives and decisions, and sometimes comes across as if she cares TOO much. It's kind of like if I was dating a poor guy and my mom disapproved just because she wanted me to be wealthy rather than being truly happy. I'm really not making any sense..Anyways. Mr. Bennet is also extreme in the sense that he seems extremely uninvolved in his daughters lives and decisions. I guess not EXTREMELY uninvolved, but one of those fathers who, like Corinne said, we know loves his daughers - just has a different way of showing it. He seems rather standoff-ish, and rarely shows concern with which paths his daughters are leading themselves down.
However, I do think if I had to choose one parent, I would choose Mr. Bennet, just because I think if I had to live with Mrs. Bennet I would go absolutely insane. Just reading about her gave me a headache. But, I think both parents need to find a happy medium.
Is it wrong if I say I would really choose neither? I'd rather live by myself.
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