the bennet parents para headings + quotes

igcse cie english literature

paragraph 1

Austen introduces the characters as contrasting and highlights their differences, both through their initial descriptions and their reactions to Elizabeth’s refusal of Mr Collins’ proposal

para 1 “you take…”

“you take delight in vexing me” hyperbole, makes herself a martyr

para 1 “no compassion…”

“no compassion on my poor nerves” adjective, establishes comic character traits, hyperbole

para 1 “I have…”

“I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends.” irony, personification

para 1 “You must…”

“You must come and make Lizzy marry Mr Collins” imperative, lack of emotional understanding, exaggerates situation

para 1 “I will…”

“I will never see you again if you do” symmetry/reversal of Mrs Bennet’s words, irony

paragraph 2

Austen uses various scenes to illustrate Mr and Mrs Bennet’s respective flaws and how these impact their daughters lives

para 2 “throw them…”

“throw them in the way of other rich men” verb throw implies carelessness,

para 2 form and structure

free indirect speech used to expose Mrs Bennet’s foolishness indirectly and satirically, as it ventriloquises her loud, careless monologue

para 2 “Elizabeth blushed…”

“Elizabeth blushed…with shame and vexation” verb shows physical reaction

para 2 form and structure Mr

contrast between Mr Bennet’s short, teasing sentences and Elizabeth’s urgent warnings in long, reasoned speech - he trivialises and brushes aside her warnings, exposes his superficial approach

para 2 “we shall…”

“we shall have no peace…if Lydia does not go” foreshadowing/dramatic irony

paragraph 3

Austen uses their different reactions to Lydia’s elopement to highlight their stark differences and reveal how their are fundamentally mismatched

para 3 “blaming everybody…”

“blaming everybody but the person to whose ill-judging indulgence the errors of her daughter must be principally owing” ironic narrative comment, conjunction, modal verb

para 3 “How I…”

“How I long to see her! and to see dear Wickham too!” exclamatory sentence, adjective

para 3 “who should…”

“who should do it but her own uncle?” rhetorical question, shows her lack of gratitude or care

para 3 “who should suffer…”

“who should suffer but myself? It has been my own doing” rhetorical question, first person possessive pronoun

para 3 form and structure

contrast between Mr Bennet’s short, measured pieces of direct speech which show his composure and Mrs Bennet’s long stretches of direct speech which show her emotional volatility and uncontrolled chatter

larger ideas

are presented as a dysfunctional couple, shows the issues with marrying impulsively or for the sake of marriage, reflected in Lydia’s marriage to Wickham

final mention

“Mr Bennet missed his second daughter exceedingly….he delighted in going to Pemberley”
“so near a vicinity to her mother…was not desirable even to his easy temper” negatives, understatement