Caroline Bingley essay plan

Who is she?

Sisters of Mr Bingley - rich and unmarried - snobbish and vain - cruel - foil to Lizzie - narrative obstacle - represents superficial conventional nature of upper class femininity and snobbery- jealous, manipulative, duplicitous and arrogant, superficial- she is used to reveal the hypocrisy of class prejudice and to criticise classist attitudes

Paragraph 1 overview

Introduced by the contrasting views of Jane and Lizzy - Lizzy views her negatively and shows prejudice whereas Jane is forgiving and kind towards her - Lizzy sees through her which allows for Austen to reveal the hypocrisy of class prejudice

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‘proud and conceited’ - introduced as self centred and snobbish - belief of their own importance - through Elizabeth’s voice from the narrator showing her judgement towards them

‘fortune… acquired by trade’ - hypocrisy of class prejudice in the irony of their judgement towards the Bennet family’s middle class relations when in reality they own no land themselves

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‘their manners are not equal to his’ - judgement and perceptive - sees through her

‘very pleasing women’ - sees the best in all, contrasting views, willing to see them in a good light which makes their unkindness even more shocking and hurtful

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‘shew an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum’

Disgust towards Lizzy and calls her vain and arrogant which is ironic

Judges for her lack of femininity, shows her obsession with social constraints which juxtaposes Lizzy

Superlative shows her own self importance and snobbish nature - direct speech shows her openly cruel nature

Paragraph 2 overview

Proved to be manipulative in her mistreatment of Jane

Paragraph 2, quote 1 (f+s)

Epistolary form used in letter to Jane which reveals their leaving - distance through letter symbolises her retreat from Jane and loss of connection - broken up by both narrative voice and direct speech to allow for Elizabeth to show her dislike for C and concern for Jane - direct speech introduced the reader to the hurt that will be caused but also makes her forgiveness even more shocking

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‘am I wrong, my dearest Jane, in indulging the hope of an event which will secure the happiness of so many?’

Rhetorical question builds cruelty - superlative paints the act of civility when in reality she is being purposely unkind - complete disregard for Jane’s happiness - selfish in it will benefit her

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‘Caroline is incapable of wilfully deceiving anyone’

Jane’s inability to see through C’s falsehood emphasises C’s duplicity and manipulation of Jane as she is able to even build sympathy from her - irony in that she is wilfully deceiving her

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‘did not return my visit till yesterday… not a note… not a line… she had no pleasure in it’

Repeated negatives to show her lack of any attention or care for Jane - sly and dismissive - superficial - snobbish in her belief of her own power of Jane

Paragraph 3 overview

Jealousy of Elizabeth and desire to obtain a beneficial marriage

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described as Darcy’s ‘faithful assistant’ - voice of the narrator breaks up direct speech of Ms B in order to mock her obsession in pleasing Darcy - comic flattery

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‘Miss Bingley’s attention was quite as much engaged in watching Mr Darcy’s progress through his book, as in reading her own’ ‘She could not win him, however to any conversation’

She attempts to flirt and impress him to an excessive level that it appears humorous and comic to the reader - use of narrator’s voice obviously mocks her and she is shown to be ridiculous

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‘desire of getting rid of Elizabeth’

‘often tried to provoke Darcy into disliking her guest… planning his happiness in such an alliance’

Belittles Elizabeth to raise herself up showing her jealousy - attempts to gain a reaction out of him - mocking tone - possessive over Darcy so lower others for her own gain

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‘so brown and coarse… face is too thin… has no brilliancy… not at all handsome’

Lists Elizabeth’s faults to Darcy - belittles her and is unkind - physical failings shows her superficial nature - outlines her lower class nature - oblivious to Darcy’s affection towards her