Sarcasm: A Coping Mechanism

One of my favourite characters in Pride and Prejudice is Elizabeth’s father, Mr. Bennet. The sarcastic comments and witty responses that he speaks are ones that I find really amusing. As I was reading the book, some of his comments even made me laugh out loud. In Chapter 2, for example, on page 8, Mrs. Bennet is complaining (I find her rather hilarious as well) about her daughter, Kitty. Kitty happened to cough. Mrs. Bennet says: “Don’t keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven’s sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.” Mr. Bennet responds to her comment, almost making fun of his wife, “Kitty has no discretion in her coughs,” said her father; “she times them ill.” The ridiculousness of the situation is a concept that is repeated many times in the novel. When Jane needs the carriage to ride to Netherfield, for example, and Mrs. Bennet forces her to go on horseback and she gets sick, Mr. Bennet says to his wife: “Well, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet, when Elizabeth had read the note aloud, “if your daughter should have a dangerous fit of illness, if she should die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Mr. Bingley, and under your orders.” (Chapter 7, p. 32). As many character flaws as Mr. Bingley has, he is also sensible enough to realize them, in the end. He does his best to fix the failings, that he has previously let slide, in Kitty. His sarcasm and wittiness are his way to deal with the silliness of his wife and youngest daughters, and although they might not be the best way to correct behaviour, they make for a very entertaining read!