cted with their mother's character traits and act more amiably like their older sisters” (Bowen 112). Perhaps “had he have been more caring he would have taken Elizabeth's advice and prohibited Lydia's going to Brighton, thereby destroying the whole eloping scheme at the root. Truly, had he been a better father most of the unfortunate predicaments faced by his family could have been prevented, an inference, which reveals the true depth of his importance in Pride and Prejudice. Put quite simply, without a character of Mr. Bennet [portraying] the irresponsible father, Austen would have no character development” (Bradley 34). Although Mr. Bennet is imperative to the character development, it is inferior to that of the development of the plot. Vital to the plot, Mr. Bennet is also crucial to the reader's perception of the world that Austen is describing. “Most members of this society are greedy and mercenary, and those who are not are so entangled in their own passions that they almost never see the absurdity of the world around them” (Brower 180). Mr. Bennet is different however. While being realistic, he also takes great pleasure of observing the sad silliness of the world around him, and poking fun at it on many occasions. Mr. Bennet even states, “for what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn” (Austen 75) is an expression that could be his life's motto, as he spends most of his time in his library reading and reflecting on the failures of the realm he lives in. “In those rare moments the audience is allowed to see through Mr. Bennet's eyes [and] the reader begins to comprehend how truly unbearable and disgusting the society around him is to man like himself - a strong, intelligent, independent man” (Francis 16). However, “if judged purely by his actions the character may be seen as somewhat of a submissive coward, [although] his...
