An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 809 words)
[llustration]
Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley. He
had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his
wife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was
paid she had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following
manner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat, he
suddenly addressed her with,--
“I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzy.”
“We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes,” said her mother,
resentfully, “since we are not to visit.”
“But you forget, mamma,” said Elizabeth, “that we shall meet him at the
assemblies, and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him.”
“I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces
of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion
of her.”
“No more have I,” said Mr. Bennet; “and I am glad to find that you do
not depend on her serving you.”
Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply; but, unable to contain
herself, began scolding one of her daughters.
“Don’t keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven’s sake! Have a little
compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.”
“Kitty has no discretion in her coughs,” said her father; “she times
them ill.”
“I do not cough for my own amusement,” replied Kitty, fretfully. “When
is your next ball to be, Lizzy?”
“To-morrow fortnight.”
“Ay, so it is,” cried her mother, “and Mrs. Long does not come back till
the day before; so, it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for
she will not know him herself.”
“Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce
Mr. Bingley to her.”
“Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him
myself; how can you be so teasing?”
“I honour your circumspection. A fortnight’s acquaintance is certainly
very little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a
fortnight. But if we do not venture, somebody else will; and after
all, Mrs. Long and her nieces must stand their chance; and, therefore,
as she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline the office, I
will take it on myself.”
The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, “Nonsense,
nonsense!”
“What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation?” cried he. “Do
you consider the forms of introduction, and the stress that is laid on
them, as nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you there. What say you,
Mary? For you are a young lady of deep reflection, I know, and read
great books, and make extracts.”
Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.
“While Mary is adjusting her ideas,” he continued, “let us return to Mr.
Bingley.”
“I am sick of Mr. Bingley,” cried his wife.
“I am sorry to hear that; but why did you not tell me so before? If I
had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on
him. It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we
cannot escape the acquaintance now.”
The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished--that of Mrs.
Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though when the first tumult of joy
was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the
while.
“How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should
persuade you at last. I was sure you loved your girls too well to
neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! And it is such a
good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning, and never said a
word about it till now.”
“Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you choose,” said Mr. Bennet; and,
as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.
“What an excellent father you have, girls,” said she, when the door was
shut. “I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness;
or me either, for that matter. At our time of life, it is not so
pleasant, I can tell you, to be making new acquaintances every day; but
for your sakes we would do anything. Lydia, my love, though you are
the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the next
ball.”
“Oh,” said Lydia, stoutly, “I am not afraid; for though I am the
youngest, I’m the tallest.”
The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would
return Mr. Bennet’s visit, and determining when they should ask him to
dinner.
[Illustration: “I’m the tallest”]
[Illustration:
“He rode a black horse”
]
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches readers to recognize when someone deliberately withholds information to maintain emotional control over others.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least."
Context: When Mrs. Bennet complains about her nerves after he teases the family
Shows Mr. Bennet's dry humor and how he's been dealing with his wife's dramatics for decades. It reveals both his affection and his way of managing household tensions through gentle mockery.
"But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes."
Context: Pressuring her husband to visit Bingley immediately
Reveals how mothers had to strategize constantly to create marriage opportunities. Her directness about hoping Bingley will 'fall in love' shows how marriage was treated as both romantic and transactional.
"I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party."
Context: Teasing his wife about visiting Bingley herself
Shows Mr. Bennet's playful nature and how he uses humor to deflect serious conversations. His compliment to his wife, buried in teasing, reveals underlying affection despite their different personalities.
Thematic Threads
Information as Power
In This Chapter
Mr. Bennet withholds his visit to Bingley, controlling his family's emotional state
Development
Introduced here - establishes his character as someone who uses knowledge strategically
In Your Life:
When have you strategically withheld information from family or friends to control a situation or surprise them?
Performance vs Reality
In This Chapter
Mr. Bennet performs indifference while actually being a caring, proactive father
Development
Builds on Chapter 1's introduction - shows the gap between his public persona and private actions
In Your Life:
Do you ever put on a show of not caring about something when you actually care deeply and are working behind the scenes?
Social Machinery
In This Chapter
Male social visits are required before families can interact - rigid rules govern relationships
Development
Expands from Chapter 1's focus on marriage prospects to show the mechanical steps required
In Your Life:
What unwritten social rules do you follow that might seem silly or overly formal to an outsider?
Gender Limitations
In This Chapter
Women cannot initiate social contact - they depend entirely on male relatives for access
Development
Deepens from Chapter 1's marriage pressure to show women's complete dependence on male gatekeepers
In Your Life:
In what situations do you still depend on others to make introductions or open doors for you socially or professionally?
Family Dynamics
In This Chapter
Bennet family operates through teasing, secrets, and surprise revelations rather than direct communication
Development
Introduced here - establishes their particular style of showing care through playful manipulation
In Your Life:
Does your family show love through teasing, pranks, or withholding surprises rather than direct expressions of affection?
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What does Mr. Bennet do that surprises his family, and how do they react?
- 2
Why does Mr. Bennet keep his visit to Bingley secret instead of just telling his family his plans?
- 3
Think about times when someone withheld good news from you or when you did this to others - what was really happening in those situations?
- 4
If you were Mrs. Bennet, how would you handle your husband's tendency to keep you guessing about important decisions?
- 5
What does this chapter reveal about how people use information to control relationships and situations?
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map the Information Power Game
Think of a current situation where someone is withholding information that affects you, or where you're holding back information from someone else. Write down who has the power, what they gain by waiting, and what the person waiting loses during the delay. Then decide: is this information game serving any real purpose, or is it just creating unnecessary stress?
Consider:
- •Consider whether the withholding is protecting someone or just feeding someone's ego
- •Notice how the waiting person's behavior might actually be encouraging the game
- •Think about what would happen if the information were shared immediately and directly
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 3
With the formal visit complete, the neighborhood buzzes with anticipation for the first social gathering where the mysterious Mr. Bingley will finally meet the local families. But first impressions don't always go as planned.
