What's your opinion on Mary Bennet?

[preiato.andrea]

Mary bennet in all of the Jane Austen adaptions has been represented as too 'bookish' and antisocial. But I think Jane Austen, although she intended Mary to be a bit of an outkast, portrayed Mary as a thinker.

What do you think?

[stella]

Mary bennet in all of the Jane Austen adaptions has been represented as too 'bookish' and antisocial. But I think Jane Austen, although she intended Mary to be a bit of an outkast, portrayed Mary as a thinker.

What do you think?

I loved Mary despite that she was a refreshing change from the rest of the girls being very studious I am guesing she would be the one who stays home and looks after Mum and Dad after all the others have married. I sometimes think in a small way Jane herself was the same just hopefully a better singer! Other than that she is an accomplished girl perhaps needs to have a makeover but I could relate to her character more than the others because she is not overly girly. She has a great sense of humour and the wit was certainly there. It is a shame she didn't get more lines.
:) stella

[Joss]

I think that Mary's "bookishness" was a deliberate choice, kind of evidence of middle child syndrome. She wasn't beautiful and kind like Jane, clever and vivacious like Lizzie, or pretty and silly like Kitty and Lydia so she made the choice (well, Jane Austen made the choice for the character) to be bookish. Unfortunately, it didn't come along with any sort of ability to be successful at it, as Mary's character always struck me as having no real understanding or empathy with the writings she studied or music she played, perhaps because she didn't interact with people enough. As has been said, she would be the sister who looked after Mr and Mrs Bennett in their old age.

Of course, we could imagine that with Jane and Lizzie providing opportunities for their younger, single sisters to engage in a better society that their outlooks may have changed somewhat. It is indicated that Kitty at least becomes more refined and that Mary, through being forced to entertain and accompany her mother on visits becomes more social.

I always thought that the portrayal in the BBC series was accurate, the actress showed how discontented Mary was, which would be true, she was definitely the sister who was piggy in the middle, left alone with only the companionship of her books and music for company.

[Eliza Bennet]

I don't think the mighty Jane liked Mary any more than most of her readers do. She did not portray as a thinker so much as someone who liked to be thought of as a thinker, if that makes any sense.

When pressed to tell of the further life adventures of the characters in P&P, Austen once said that Mary died young, which strikes one as very convenient because she was a right pain really and completely unmarriagable, I suspect.

[stella]

I don't think the mighty Jane liked Mary any more than most of her readers do. She did not portray as a thinker so much as someone who liked to be thought of as a thinker, if that makes any sense.

When pressed to tell of the further life adventures of the characters in P&P, Austen once said that Mary died young, which strikes one as very convenient because she was a right pain really and completely unmarriagable, I suspect.

Oh, no really! where did you hear that? I liked Mary given more time in the books would have been better. I thought although the least attractive and sociable she did have something in her perhaps unexplored it is too bad that Jane gave up on her. Too many characters I suppose it would happen.
stella

[Eliza Bennet]

I'm pretty sure it's mentioned in a couple of her biographies, along with the fact that Lizzy liked to wear yellow, which I found a bit distressing. I mean, who looks good in yellow...? Jane's favourite colour was green, apparently. I actually look even worse in green than I do in yelllow, so maybe yellow isn't the worst deal after all!

[stella]

I think that Mary's "bookishness" was a deliberate choice, kind of evidence of middle child syndrome. She wasn't beautiful and kind like Jane, clever and vivacious like Lizzie, or pretty and silly like Kitty and Lydia so she made the choice (well, Jane Austen made the choice for the character) to be bookish. Unfortunately, it didn't come along with any sort of ability to be successful at it, as Mary's character always struck me as having no real understanding or empathy with the writings she studied or music she played, perhaps because she didn't interact with people enough. As has been said, she would be the sister who looked after Mr and Mrs Bennett in their old age.

Of course, we could imagine that with Jane and Lizzie providing opportunities for their younger, single sisters to engage in a better society that their outlooks may have changed somewhat. It is indicated that Kitty at least becomes more refined and that Mary, through being forced to entertain and accompany her mother on visits becomes more social.

I always thought that the portrayal in the BBC series was accurate, the actress showed how discontented Mary was, which would be true, she was definitely the sister who was piggy in the middle, left alone with only the companionship of her books and music for company.

Yes, I know that feeling myself perhaps that is why I can relate to her coming from a large family does not always suit some Jane did as well perhaps that is why she wanted to shed light on that. She had six brothers and one sister myself from a large family I can imagine how hard that was so who she modeled Mary after is anyone's guess.
stella

[stella]

I'm pretty sure it's mentioned in a couple of her biographies, along with the fact that Lizzy liked to wear yellow, which I found a bit distressing. I mean, who looks good in yellow...? Jane's favourite colour was green, apparently. I actually look even worse in green than I do in yelllow, so maybe yellow isn't the worst deal after all!

Yeah I can see that, yellow is my worst color I guess it depends on your skin type, green I can agree with Jane on that it is a nature colour. Perhaps Jane I know her to be a nature girl would have loved feng shui! Myself those are the two things that guide me in life Jane and Feng shui couldn't live without either.
stella:D

[Eliza Bennet]

Maybe you could come over and sort my house out, then...

You can have the green and I'll struggle on with the yellow!

[lizzisimmons]

I think Mary was a victim of her time. It was like she took all the rules of etiquette from the time and tried to apply them literally in every situation. Elizabeth & Jane still had the social skills to bend the rules at times and Lydia and Kitty just flouted them. Having said that, alot of what Mary said was quite insightful, but due to her social ineptness and lack of personal character, she was always disregarded. A fantastic character though and the dynamics of the Bennet family are brilliant!

[Kitty]

i agree with you there lizzi. mary was a character that added to the dynamics of the Bennet family very well. Due to her lacking social etiquette, her ideology was not regarded as being intelligent.

[Eliza Bennet]

Having said that, alot of what Mary said was quite insightfulIt's no good, Lizzi, you're going to have to give us an example - I've been trying ever so hard to think of a single insightful thing Mary said, and I can't come up with any!

[stella]

Maybe you could come over and sort my house out, then...

You can have the green and I'll struggle on with the yellow!

Here is some useful and insiteful info: :) :D

White: The Chinese consider it the colour of mourning. Thus, it is not widely used. Occidentals, on the other hand, see it as the colour of purity, innocence, candour and openness. Using too much white in ones home could indicate a lack of clarity in one's opinions and indicate excessive openness to different possibilities.

Blue: It represents spirituality, the ability to look within oneself, consideration and care; it is associated with consistency and loyalty. In business, it stands for reliability and consistency. Blue is related to water.

Grey: Grey days complicate life. Grey is associated with fear and depression. Also related to water, it can be used with moderation around the main door.

Black: A powerful colour, black represents money and confers power. But it must be used in moderation. Because it absorbs a lot of light, it is used to balance brighter colours rather than on its own.

Green: It is used as equilibrium in the human organism and represents balance and peace. It is the colour of growth, one that promotes healing and tranquillity. Used to excess, it can inhibit development inasmuch as the atmosphere of extreme relaxation it creates may not be conducive to the resolution of problems. Green is related to wood.

Yellow: It is related to Earth and as such is a colour of blending which stimulates mental energy and represents wisdom. In China, it once was the colour reserved for the Emperor and his descendants because it was seen as a colour symbolizing control. Among other things, yellow is associated with patience and tolerance.

Orange: A creative colour, it stands for joy, solidarity, mental and physical energy. Depending on tones, it is related to fire or Earth.

Chestnut: It is derived from Earth and represents predictability, stability, practicality and roots.

Purple: The Chinese consider purple even more favourable than red. It is the colour of philosophers, dreamers, writers and visionaries, and is associated with high ideals, honesty, truth and love.

Pink: It stands for love and feelings and is credited with therapeutic powers against rage. It is said to quickly calm the anger of those who visualize it. It is a salutary colour that reminds us of joy, happiness and romantic love. It is related to fire or Earth, depending on its intensity.

Red: It is the colour of life, growth, happiness, joy, passion and virtue. It radiates energy on a wide range and stands for passionate love. Chinese wives dress in red because red brings them happiness and love. Red is related to fire.

stella

[lizzisimmons]

It's no good, Lizzi, you're going to have to give us an example - I've been trying ever so hard to think of a single insightful thing Mary said, and I can't come up with any!
A couple of gems from Mary:
"Society has claims on us all; and I profess myself one of those who consider intervals of recreation and amusement as desirable for everybody."
"Far be it for me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures. They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. But I confess they would have no charms for me. I should infinitely prefer a book."

[lizzisimmons]

A couple of gems from Mary:
"Society has claims on us all; and I profess myself one of those who consider intervals of recreation and amusement as desirable for everybody."
"Far be it for me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures. They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. But I confess they would have no charms for me. I should infinitely prefer a book."
Plus one last word from Mary -
"Unhappy as the event must be for Lydia, we may draw from it this useful lesson; that loss of virtue in a female is irretreivable - that one false step involves her in endless ruin - that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful - and that she cannot be too much guarded in her behaviour towards the undeserving of the other sex."

So true for that time, thankfully not like that now!!!

[Eliza Bennet]

I don't get the sense that any of these sententious pronouncements sprang from Mary's own original thought processes, though. She was the sort to regurgitate gobbits of Fordyce's Sermons and other worthy tomes and making them sound as if she'd just come up with them herself.

[lizzisimmons]

I don't get the sense that any of these sententious pronouncements sprang from Mary's own original thought processes, though. She was the sort to regurgitate gobbits of Fordyce's Sermons and other worthy tomes and making them sound as if she'd just come up with them herself.
Exactly, which is what I meant by her applying the "rules" literally in every situation, rather than developing her own personality or character. Great for us to read today as we get to understand what it must have been like to live then.