Pride and Prejudice is one of Jane Austen's greatest masterpieces. It's a sharp and witty comedy of manners played out in early 19th Century English society. Women hope to find a rich husband that can care for them; in particular are the Bennet's, a family with five daughters whose father's estate is entailed to a distant relative when he passes. The mother is desperate to see them get married and when they hear about the Bingley's (a wealthy household), and she attempts to get one of the older daughters to commit to marriage with Mr. Bingley. In this time period, a man's etiquette is supposed to be very charming and agreeable with the ladies. As for the women, they are expected to uphold the most proper manners. Yet in this novel, Austen pokes fun at the misbehavior of those lower, and even higher on the social scale. .
Mrs. Bennet was the definition of having bad manners. She says, "Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor nerves (Ch 1 page 5)." She presents herself as a small-minded vulgar woman with no sense of social tact, and she has no self-awareness. She is loud, rude, condescending about the Bingley's income, which is the antithesis of how she should be behaving. Although she may be obnoxious, she will comment on how good or how bad someone else's behaviors are. She rambles about how Bingley's sisters are proud and full of themselves, but do not notice how her own foolish daughters, Kitty and Lydia, are exposing the family to ridicule with their wild behavior. She is a rather hilarious character and a great example of the comedic nature of manners. Nearly everything she does or says is the opposite of what a well brought up and well behaved lady should be during that time period.
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There were those that portray the exact opposite of what etiquette in a man should be even if that man is financially competent.
