In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen describes Mrs. Bennet as "a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper". Her preoccupation with her daughters' marriages, multifaceted disposition, and gossip ability distinguish her as the typical woman of her time.
             The principal objective of Mrs. Bennet's life is to get her daughters married and she pursues it through deceptive contrivance. When Jane is invited to dinner at the Bingley's, she advises her, "...you had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain; and then you must stay all night" (pg.21). She shows a lack of concern for Jane's health and safety by making her ride on horseback in the rain. With this advice she places a higher priority on marriage than her daughters. Through her eyes, marriage is seen as business. That is why she gets very upset when Elizabeth declines Mr. Collins proposal to marry him. She says, "Oh! Mr. Bennet, you are wanted immediately; we are all in an uproar. You must come and make Lizzy marry Mr. Collins, for she vows she will not have him, and if you do not make haste he will change his mind and not have her" (pg.82). Even though Elizabeth and Mr. Collins are only acquainted for a few days, she expects them to get married. This senseless expectation shows her lack of care for Elizabeth's feelings.
             Mrs. Bennet's personality manifolds with each situation. Her shallowness attributes to her passing judgement on prospective husbands by their income and status. Referring to Mr. Bingley, a man whom she has never encountered before, she describes him as "a single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!" (pg. 1). She places no importance towards his personality. She is known to contradict herself. In the beginning of the book, she criticizes her husband for favoring Elizabeth over the other chil...