Charlotte Lucas makes me want to throw up...

So, if you follow Jane Austen on Facebook (and, who doesn't!?) you'll know that they're doing a celebration of Pride and Prejudice. Yesterday's question was all about Charlotte Lucas:

So, Charlotte makes me want to throw up, but she also kind of makes me a little sad. I'm sad for her, for other women in her situation and, in turn, that makes me sad for all of women kind as Charlotte's thoughts, feelings and actions are not so far removed from women of today. She makes me want to throw up because every time I think of her my mind automatically next jumps to the dreadful Mr. Collins. No matter how we look at it, she is neither unlucky, nor unwise...and, she definitely isn't destined for misery. With all of our technological advances and with all of our gender equality there are still women who, much like Charlotte, are smart and, yet feel incomplete outside of marriage.

I do appreciate that Charlotte is the perfect foil for Elizabeth and while we can see the deep contrast between the two, we can also see how similar they are. We learn many lessons from her. We learn that we don't have to agree to be friends. We learn that it's OK to be practical. We learn that sometimes we must sacrifice ourselves to be happy. We learn that we must be truthful about this, and we learn that if we are truthful with others and ourselves we can pretty much have the courage to do most anything. Charlotte and Elizabeth both teach us that there's more than one way to approach marriage and love. They are both strong women who choose their own destinies. One is just comfortable enough in her own skin to not mind being a spinster and the other would rather do anything to be anything but.

Mr. Bennet's Parenting Skills, or lack thereof

So, if you follow Jane Austen on Facebook (and, who doesn't!?) you'll know that they're doing a celebration of Pride and Prejudice. Yesterday's poignant and highly debatable question:

At first I had a heart felt, of course, he is...he tells Elizabeth to follow her heart and not to care about what other people think concerning Mr. Darcy. Immediately after I thought this I remember three extremely important points 1] he doesn't do this for his other daughters and is as concerned with marrying them off into nice homes as his wife is 2] he really doesn't solve any of his daughters problems, seriously he's more of a 'close the barn door after they horses get out' kind of guy and 3] he passively let's his wife make horrible decisions; that's because he doesn't understand what it means to raise daughters and it would seem that he doesn't really want to take the time.

he doesn't do this for his other daughters and is as concerned with marrying them off into nice homes as his wife

• he seems to think that his other daughters are too insipid 
• he seems to have lost all hope with ever having a true relationship with them
• he seems to have pick Elizabeth as the favorite because she is the opposite of her mother...as in she has brains and real beauty

he really doesn't solve any of his daughters problems, seriously he's more of a 'close the barn door after they horses get out' kind of guy

• he doesn't seem to take his family and his responsibilities to them seriously
• he runs away from problems...literally he retreats from them by walking about the countryside or by holing up in his library
• one word: Lydia
• oh, and other word: Kitty
• he knows Mary is too smart, but doesn't help her
• he knows that Jane is fairing well on her own

he passively let's his wife make horrible decisions; that's because he doesn't understand what it means to raise daughters and it would seem that he doesn't really want to take the time

• he would rather be amused by the outcomes than to help
• he doesn't seem to take his role as father seriously
• he'd rather entertain and be entertaining
• he doesn't love his wife and does nothing about that
• when he sees the traits his wife possesses in his daughters he doesn't try to instill in his daughters 'respect, esteem or confidence'

Conclusion: if you are Elizabeth Bennet you might think your father is top-notch, even if he is flawed, to everyone else Mr. Bennet may be the first ever fictional 'absentee father'. Is this the kind of father role model Jane Austen wanted us to see, or is his a tale of caution?

Anyway, sorry this is all sorts of bullet-pointed...I'm sure it will make someone a great start to an essay anyway!

What do you think about Mr. Bennet?