As you may know, I just started a new reading list that consists of classic romance novels. These novels are mostly books by Jane Austin; however, a couple others are on the list as well. But the one I started with was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. If you read my post on the lists I chose from, you might know that I am not a fan of romance novels. But I wanted to expand my horizons a bit and give them a try. I started with Pride and Prejudice because I liked the movie and figured it would be a good way to get me off on the right foot with this genre. So far, it has worked!
There were a lot of things about this book that I didn’t like, but there was one thing that really got me interested from the get-go. Mr. Bennet. Now, don’t get me wrong, he made some mistakes that were not so great in the book. However, his character contained something that I think every romance book, or really every book, should have. A character who is brutally honest with overbearing characters. Mr. Bennet’s forthright and unexpressive demeanor offers a streak of comedy that entirely contrasts with his over-excitable wife and two of his daughters. Why is something like this so important? I think it helps because it is refreshing.
One Man in a Sea of Woman
Now, I love stories about both men and women. But in Pride and Prejudice, there is a massive cast of female characters who are all very excitable and emotional. Having Mr. Bennet planted firmly in the middle is a hilarious way to balance out all the emotions flying in every which direction! The best thing Mr. Bennet did, to be specific, was help the character of Mrs. Bennet be easier to take. Mrs. Bennet is highly expressive and overbearing and on a mission to get all of her daughters married to wealthy men, as per the requirement of her time. Mr. Bennet, on the other hand, is in no rush at all. He sports an entirely opposite personality from his wife; he is low-key and less interested in rushing the girls to marriage. This low-key, unworried personality of his does aid in some problems that present themselves at one point. Still, it is a massive help in the storytelling when it comes to trying to swallow the hugely emotional Mrs. Bennet.
Counteract Excitable with Low-Key
I think every book needs a Mr. Bennet type character to provide the reader with a refreshing break from the excitable character’s craziness. When a book has a character who is highly expressive, whether they are an annoying character or one everyone can understand and feel for, their opposite is still needed. This doesn’t necessarily mean there has to be a man in a sea of women. There can be one woman who is just funny and laid back (Elisabeth kind of does this for the family as well) in a sea of women who are uptight and all over the place. Or other ratios and dynamics. But the point is that there needs to be someone to hold down the reader’s emotional fort, so to speak, and offer that breath of fresh air throughout the book.
Same Principle, Different Type
This same principle can be used with various character “types.” A sad character can have a happy friend, and vice versa. A character with severe shopping problems can have a friend without them (Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella), an emotionally insensitive character can have a caring and sensitive friend (Sherlock Holmes and Watson), or you can even do two on two with two friends out on a mission, stuck with two other friends who start out just along for the ride and trying not to die (Frodo and Sam and Merry and Pippin). This idea of opposites can be a great way to elevate a story and bring more characters to the page, providing the readers with a break from whatever character they don’t like or the character who is just a lot to handle. In short, every book needs a “Mr. Bennet,” especially if there is a “Mrs. Bennet.”
Photo Credit: Libby Screen Shot
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