Why Mary Bennet is ESSENTIAL in Pride and Prejudice | Foil Characters

[@EllieDashwood]

Thank you so much for watching! If you love Pride and Prejudice, you might like this video examining if Mr Darcy is *actually* rich: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpnUimZmZ5Wpfpo

[@danaszalay8202]

Aq

[@buckowens5323]

Wow ! With all that's going on in America and the world this is what you occupy your brains with ! Just wow

[@mausicute8804]

HeyBuck! The World can not stop because there is trouble all around. Are you psralized and hidden at homenaje or are you doing something to helado improve this convulsed World? I' m not sure if I expressed myself correctly, sorry! I am South american.... very convulsed also!

[@mausicute8804]

Sorry Buck! My Phone Speaks only spanish hahaha! It wrote in spanish some words. Thing is, are you paralized at home because things are very bad around the World? Or are you helping in some way this convulsed World?

[@danshaleboda4817]

Thank you for sharing these thoughts. I really enjoy your videos.

[@ruthvogel7390]

Poor Mary. She had no guidance from either one of her parents, was the only unattractive daughter, and was the middle child. Jane and Elizabeth had each other, likewise Kitty and Lydia. She was left to contend for herself.

[@Nicciolai]

Hence the possible reason she became more extreme.

[@sourcacti8790]

I like to think that Lizzy and Jane took their younger sisters under their care after getting married - helped them grow up and mature (so in my head-canon Kitty and Mary also get a happy ending) :P

[@Nicciolai]

@@sourcacti8790 Yes, I agree. JA wrote that Mary married 'only' a clerk. But that's being prejudiced again. There wouldn't be a lot of super wealthy men about, and a kind-hearted clerk is as good as any other man.

[@missbeans]

And she was self-learning a musical instrument with no tutelage whatsoever! I love Mary, she is so underrated.

[@artificiallove4098]

Maybe eventually Kitty and Mary became closer and balanced each other out since they were the only sisters left.

[@evasebok58]

I always saw Mary's role a little bit differently. Even though I see your points and agree, there is a couple of things I would like to add: 1. I think Mary's role is to highlight Mr. Collin's superficial nature. Mr. Collins - regardless his lack of high level accomplishments (standing in life, charisma, social skills, IQ or EQ) - is aiming for beauty when it comes to marriage , without any regard of compatibility or personality. As a reader we all see, that if Mr. Collins want to insist on marrying a Bennet sister, Mary would be the best match for him in terms of compability, personility and shared values, yet he never gave her a second look. That highlights his supeficial nature (what we see in other regards as well). 2. Mary's role is to highlight the difficulty of being the middle child. 3. Mary's role is to highlight the difficulty of being not a beautiful woman among beautiful women. I always considered Mary first as a part of social commentary, second as a magnifying glass on Mr. Collins personality.

[@EllieDashwood]

Those are all such great points about Mary! In this video I'm just highlighting one major role Mary is filling. She also accomplishes much, much more of course. As any good author, Jane Austen feed many birds with one scone (which is apparently the politically correct version of killing many birds with one stone). 😂

[@thekingsdaughter4233]

Maybe Mary was too plain for Mr. Collins' taste (I still shudder to think at what a couple they would have made!), but she was daughter #3. Would it have been the done thing to have a younger daughter marry first? Yes, yes, Lydia. But that was more necessity than anything else. Also, the age difference? Charlotte Lucas is a few years older than Lizzie, and he marries _her._

[@Furienna]

@@thekingsdaughter4233 Yeah, it is good to remember that marrying off a younger daughter before her older sisters probably was against the customs of the time. Lydia only was allowed to get married first because it was the only way to avoid an even bigger scandal. Even so, it is probably correct to assume that Mr Collins was too shallow to give poor Mary a chance either way. It is also possible that Elizabeth's rejection of him made him reject the whole Bennet family altogether. Or that Mr Collins saw Mary more as a sister than as a potential wife.

[@emmagreen4092]

I think these are some very great and valid points on Mary and Mr Collins. To add, I also feel that Mr Collins had an over-inflated ego so: 1. He would not consider Mary because she is too plain in comparison to the other sisters (this superficial stance you mentioned but also complete lack of awareness of his own plainness) 2. Secondly, his ego has been wounded two times where he wanted to marry Jane but was told 'no' only to be clearly rejected by Elizabeth. Possibly making another proposal to another Bennett sister would be too much of a stretch for his bruised ego. 3. He cares a lot about Lady Catherine's view of him and his relations. Of course, she is his patroness but he also highly respects the rich and influential as a whole throughout the course of his part in the story. Mary would have been conservative and demure, and her plainness would only accentuate her lesser financial status (and therefore value at that time) in front of Lady Catherine and family. Charlotte Lucas, however, had better standing from her family and was very intelligent.

[@janehundson2973]

I don't think that Mr. Collins values beauty that much. Remember that he was looking for a wife only because Lady Catherine told him to get married. He decided to choose one of his cousins, so the Bennet girls wouldn't have lost thier home. He thought himself as a kind and generous man, if the Bennet sisters wouldn't have been so pretty, he wouldn't have minded at all, because it considered his help and generous offer to the family as a moral duty. He first choose Jane not only because she's pretty, but also because she's the oldest; and Elizabeth is the second one. After Elizabeth refused him, Mrs. Bennet was convinced that Mr. Collins would have asked Mary and that her third daughter would have accepted him (not because she was in love with him, but because she respected his opinions more than her sisters). But unfortunately, Mrs. Bennet didn't see Mr. Collins' ego: he considered Elizabeth's refuse as a slap in the face of his "generous" offer and he decided to have nothing to do with the Bennet family anymore. But he still "needed" a wife in order to make Lady Chatherine happy, so he chose the first random woman that acceped his offer - Charlotte Lucas, a woman who is described as unattractive (Mary is instead descrived as only plain and self righteous, not ugly or unattractive) and older than Mary and her sisters. Mary, compared to the woman Mr. Collins chose to marry, is young (about 18) and the narrative implies that she comes as the "plain daughter" if only compared to her sisters. Also, her lack of taste (maybe she hasn't fashion sense and doesn't know how to make herself pretty) and her pedantic air doesn't help. But she improved after her sisters went away. Probably Mrs. Bennet spend more energy on her look and people started to see her as Mary Bennet and not the "plain sister". I think that, in the end, if Mr. Collins valued beauty so much and his ego wasn't hurt by Elizabeth's refuse, he would have chosen Mary over Charlotte.

[@duffypratt]

Good video. I see Mary as showing where Mr. Bennett started to give up his interest in raising his daughters and retreated to the library. Mary and Elizabeth have mostly good sense, and have had some guidance. Lydia is her mother and Kitty is guided by Lydia. Mary has decent instincts, but has had basically no guidance at all. So in the progression of the daughters you get the fall of Mr. Bennett’s influence on the family and the rise of Mrs. Bennett.

[@EllieDashwood]

That’s such an interesting way of looking at! 🤔

[@duffypratt]

@Jonathan Parks What I meant by decent instincts is that she is demonstrably trying to improve herself, but the only thing she has to go on is what she can glean from books, of which she only his little understanding. Her ideas are thus utterly conventional, and she doesn’t realize that they lack profundity. She hasn’t acquired good judgment, but there is little that she says that is actually wrong. It’s just not particularly helpful. Compare this to Elizabeth, who has better sense, but pretty much gets everything wrong for the first 2/3rds of the book.

[@nadiagoddard227]

@@duffypratt I agree I think Mr Bennet was not a good father. Why didn't he save for his daughters' future? Why didn't he curb Kitty and Lydia Why could he not see that Mary wanted to be educated? In encouraging her, he could have moderated her self-righteousness and provided himself with some intellectual company. Besides which, poor Mary too plain to be loved by her mother, ignored or mocked by her father and excluded from the Elizabeth/ Jane partnership and the Lydia/ Kitty relationship. She must have been very lonely.

[@pound2loud]

That is so sad. I wish there was closure for her.

[@duffypratt]

Jonathan Parks Can you give an example of Mary hurting someone? And particularly by. reciting one of her inane profundities?

[@jmarie9997]

I think Mary's attitude is because she feels so out of place. She's plain, compared to her sisters. Lizzie and Jane are a pair. Kitty and Lydia are a pair. Her father isn't interested in anyone but Lizzie. Her mother is only interested in finding husbands for her pretty daughters; Mary seems to be forgotten in the mess.

[@haniyaali4735]

True, she is very much left out and forgotten, in fact her family paid her so little attention that while reading the book for the first time I even forgot for a while that she existed, until she was casually mentioned

[@argusfleibeit1165]

Without Mary and her cringe-inducing performance skills, we would have been denied the immortal line of Mr. Bennet saying, "Thank you my dear, you have delighted us long enough."

[@brucealanwilson4121]

Mary wasn't a bad pianist, but she had a horrible voice. If she would content herself with accompanying her sisters, she might have made a better impression.

[@ah5721]

Since she was ill favored its my belief she was trying to get attention

[@kathiedietrich6338]

@@ah5721 yeah because she didn’t get any from her parents...

[@matthewconnolly8628]

She actually played twice as well as Lozzy

[@ah5721]

@@kathiedietrich6338 she was a middle child. They often get forgotten

[@katdenning6535]

Mary also serves as a representation of the type of young woman that Fordyce’s sermons recommends. Each one of the daughters actually could fulfill some of the idea of what a “woman ought to be” but also shows the unreasonableness of squeezing all of those characteristics into one woman. Lydia, for example, could easily represent a woman’s “important” role of “being pleasing to men” and “being ignorant”

[@EllieDashwood]

That’s such an interesting observation! It’s true, I think societal norms for women are definitely being dissected by them. 🤔

[@annaswanson5903]

that is some good insight

[@MsRockstar013]

Good point!

[@cferracini]

I have always felt bad for Mary. I like her and in my mind, she got a nice middle ground guy who appreciates her morals.

[@veniceangelidelacruz2988]

Me too... I like all the sisters, and am fond of Lizzie of course! If someone would write Mary's story and maybe how she meets a certain gentleman that she can clash with, like Lizzie and Darcy, I'd want to read it...

[@silvermoon4068]

@@veniceangelidelacruz2988 I started to read a version of pride and prejudice form Mary's perspective a while ago, it was alright but it made me feel very sad for Mary and a bit off without the early 19th century writing but you might get on with it better, I think it was called the other Bennett sister or something like that

[@basmajaheen9435]

@@veniceangelidelacruz2988 I just finished The Other Bennet Sister, and it was amazing. I came to understand Mary's behavior and feelings, and to appreciate her journey.

[@ZombieInvader]

I often thought she would do well with someone like Edward Ferrars from S&S. A gentle and unpretentious soul who would admire her morals and talent. Someone who wants a quiet life devoted to goodworks- likely either a clergyman or a landowner who helps the less fortunate in the parish.

[@Furienna]

@@ZombieInvader She did marry a clerk from her uncle's law firm according to Jane Austen's nephew. That was maybe not as good as a clergyman or a land-owner would be according to the snobbish ideals of the Regency era gentry. As long as he was nice to her though, I'm happy. And I don't think that a lawyer's clerk was such a bad option anyway for an overlooked middle child with four prettier sisters from a relatively poor landed gentry family. Especially not if her husband took over Mr Philips's firm, which is what some people believe will happen since the Philipses have no children of their own. Really, it is not impossible either that Mary's husband might have had connections with a landed gentry family himself.

[@floraposteschild4184]

Another doppelganger who turns out to be a foil is Lady Catherine re. Darcy. She is the insensitive, ridiculously snobbish person Elizabeth assumes Darcy to be.

[@annaswanson5903]

I always felt extremely bad for Mary but I always felt like she was the female version of Mr. Collins and the fact that he wouldn't even dane to consider her as a match highlighted how superficial and selfish (and odious) he really is

[@pipmitchell7059]

*deign*

[@marzipanshepherdess9190]

She was indeed the female counterpart of Mr. Collins and could have been very happy with him; they would truly have been the soulmates that Mr. Collins THINKS that he and Charlotte are. It's unfortunate that he never even noticed her, much less really talked with her - they'd have discovered that they had a great deal in common and would indeed have lived happily ever after.

[@arthurfleck1554]

She was a mere teenager and Miss Charlotte Lucas an Adult!

[@Furienna]

@@arthurfleck1554 Well, Lydia was younger than her and got married.

[@here_we_go_again2571]

@@marzipanshepherdess9190 Mary and Mr. Collins would not be happy together. They are too much alike. She has no charm and would not be an asset to him. Whether or not he knows it or not; he married up when he married a calm, self-assured woman like Charlotte.

[@onemercilessming1342]

When I was growing up, girls like Mary (unattractive, socially inept, studious, avid reader) were called bluestockings. If they never married, they became the maiden aunties that were surrogate mothers to their nieces and nephews. In later years, They sometimes married widowers to help raise their children. Their lives weren't purposeless. It's just that they weren't belles and their lives were less likely to have been the choice they would have preferred. But they were not purposeless, and they were beloved by the little ones they helped to raise.

[@janedoefamily6458]

I wonder if Jane Austen did this on purpose or if it just came naturally . She had such deep insight into human nature. :)

[@EllieDashwood]

I wonder the same thing! Especially because she must have picked this all up naturally.

[@vvr1791]

I think that's one of the reasons Pride and Prejudice is her most famous work, the characters feel very natural and balanced by one another as do the interactions.

[@floraposteschild4184]

JA may not have gone to university and taken literary courses, but she read widely in the literature of her age (Richardson, for example) and was able to discuss literature with intelligent and sophisticated people, including members of her own family. Austen was a genius, but the idea of an author of her depth writing "naturally", rather than after a great deal of thought and hard work makes me smile.

[@ophilliaophillia5918]

Jane Austen understood what happens to intelligent women in her world and made Mary clueless- after all JA was forced to hide the fact she could write and was to become a writer. Mary shows us what potential she has if she had a real education and the dangers of intelligent educated women had to face. No husband for her. So Mary remains clueless

[@gisawslonim9716]

I can tell you from personal experience (as I also write) that it is instinctive and if we are ourselves, as writers, deeply immersed in our work and with our characters, this will appear in what we are writing in a seemingly completely thought deprived manner--- automatically. Re reading it we wonder, "Where did that come from?" and then "But it works, so....)

[@brucealanwilson4121]

I've always thought it was a pity Mary was English. A family similarly situated in Italy or Spain would have sent their 'Mary' into a convent, where she'd play the organ in the chapel, teach the little girls in the orphanage/charity school, and been very busy and happy.

[@annemary9680]

Excellent observation that I never considered. Mary's personality would be suitable for the ascetic lifestyle and I think she'd be very content and even prefer or desire the celibacy. Some people are naturally oriented towards that.

[@brucealanwilson4121]

@@annemary9680 Exactly. I don't think she'd have liked an enclosed, contemplative Order, but an active Order---teaching, social outreach, etc.---would suit her just fine.

[@cosh5]

Poor Mary, why would you want to force her into religious slavery?

[@Furienna]

​@@cosh5But if her choices had been taking the veil and bringing honor to her family or being mocked since she has four more popular sisters and failed to attract a husband? Then it maybe wouldn't feel like slavery...

[@smollilbean]

​@@Furiennawhy are you needlessly going around abusing Mary's other sisters and declaring her as the best? Even if she was a victim to neglect she tried to act like a superior, know-it-all that was better than the rest. Do you identify so much with Mary as to go around all over the comment section and defend her on everything? I think it's important to note that she's just a fictional character and not reality.

[@habituscraeftig]

I always felt that Mary highlighted the fact that her father valued their intelligence. Mary fails to get the attention of her father because she superficially tries to have wisdom without having any actual understanding. To me, that highlights Lizzie favorably, because it takes a heroine that is lively and intelligent and allows her to make some really bad judgment calls without coming across, herself, as silly (like Lydia) or stupid (because we can see her being perceptive and understanding). It also allows her to be smart without putting on the trappings of intelligence (being excessively bookish).

[@Furienna]

Yeah yeah, let's give all the praise to Elizabeth without acknowledging her bitchiness and shallowness. If she always was that much smarter and better at everything than Mary, why didn't she do anything to help Mary instead of just ignoring her or mocking her? Jane is hardly more interesting to me than watching paint dry with her boring perfection. But still, Elizabeth and everybody else adores her and doesn't care if Mary is alive or not. Yeah, I do get that what people admire in a woman have changed a lot since those days. And in Regency England, Jane would have been a "perfect lady". It is really aggravating to me though to see everybody gushing over her and neglecting Mary, as I can relate the most to Mary out of the five Bennet sisters.

[@khadizaahmed8989]

@@Furienna Jane is a pushover and Lizzy is "so not like other girls" she becomes irritating. Elizabeth thinks she's better than Darcy and vice versa when they're literally the same person in a diffrent gender and I can't stand how Lizzy gets polished as a good person when she partook in insulting Mary like you said

[@LiNestHetalia]

@@Furienna while I totally agree, I think that Jane Austen never did condone Elizabeth's arrogance, so please don't assume it was her intentions as an author, I think it's very clear how much this is consequence of Mr. Bennett's horrible parentage because mostly of Elizabeth's arrogant views born in her own father tutelage (that I call "bitch idealizing and projecting themselves in their children") just like Lydia's impulsive nature was encouraged and inflamed carelessly by her mother She gets way better by the end after the misunderstandings are cleared and she realizes her mistakes, that shows that, while arrogant and self righteous, Lizzie isn't prideful and can apologize and make amends, in that she's different of her father

[@Furienna]

@@LiNestHetalia Still, she decides to help Kitty but not Mary after she got married to Darcy. So I don't think that she has improved at all.

[@LiNestHetalia]

@@Furienna well she is not close to Mary and we can't deny that many times we, as humans, lack empathy for what we don't experience, that's even a point in many of Austen's books, so yeah Elizabeth isn't perfect, but to imply that Austen tried excuse her behavior? Maybe you need read the book again

[@ajvanmarle]

There is another benefit as well. By introducing Mary, Austen makes the Bennet sisters appear as though they are spread out over the possible personalities. Without her, the other four would look like a bipolar distribution (2 smart, 2 dumb), which would not be as natural. If a sister is to be left out (some adaptations do that), it should be Kitty, who is basically just Lydia-light.

[@accaeffe8032]

If there are 4-5-6 siblings there is always a 'grey mouse' type who is neither pretty/good looking nor clever/ successful and slightly ignored by the parents or the other siblings. Mary is a character many people can identify with.

[@Furienna]

Mary seems to at least try to improve herself and is much more sympathetic than Lydia who threw herself into the arms of a scoundrel when she was just sixteen. Mary is hardly as bad as the narration says either, but simply not instantly appealing to men and thus worthless as a woman by the standards of Regency England.

[@jjbowman4653]

The thing is when you have 4-5-6 siblings typically no sibling is getting the attention they think they deserve and all end up feeling like this “grey mouse” character.

[@accaeffe8032]

@@damienknudson4504 you must have great parents. Most families don't have perfect family dynamics. There's something that is called the " middle child syndrome", when there are 3 children. Well, Mary is sort of a middle child between two older and two younger sisters. There's a book by Janice Hadlow, The Other Bennet Sister. It's Mary's story, and imo not bad.

[@accaeffe8032]

@@jjbowman4653 the first one will until the second one is born 🙂

[@wolfhound1452]

Damien Knudson Right! I raised five children and they all got the attention they deserved. And I am happy to say the girls are pretty and the boys are handsome. And they all are vivacious and hard-working. No mice here!

[@amemabastet9055]

I always perceived Mary as a misfit. But actually reading the books, not watching adaptions, I find there's more to her than we are led to believe. For one thing, she does NOT play the piano badly. Even though she believes herself to be better than she is, she is also pedantic and quite excellent at playing, even twice as good as Eliza according to canon. "Mary had neither genius nor taste; and though vanity had given her application, it had given her likewise a pedantic air and conceited manner, which would have injured a higher degree of excellence than she had reached. Elizabeth, easy and unaffected, had been listened to with much more pleasure, though not playing half so well; and Mary, at the end of a long concerto, was glad to purchase praise and gratitude by Scotch and Irish airs, at the request of hter younger sisters, who, with some the Lucases, and two or three officers, joined eargerly in dancing at one end of the room." (P&P, chapter 6) I read into this that Mary was probably technically the best of the sisters, but technical skill does not necessarily imply that it's fun to listen to. Eliza on the other hand didn't play as well, but apparently with much more gusto and feeling, communicating something more in her musical expression. So the scenes in the films where Mary sounds bad is actually to debase her to "comic relief", a role I doubt Jane herself intended Mary to play. I hear miss Dashwood too has fallen prey to this misconception, saying at 16:15 that "Mary only wants to show her poor piano skills off". So the question must be why our modern script writers and producers found it necessary to put her in a worse light than Austen herself did. It might have to do with archetypes and the roles women and men are allowed to play. I wrote a paper at uni about this many years ago. Women have less roles to choose from. They mainly have "The Whore", "The Hag" or "The Nun". Does the adaptions twist our interpretation of Mary due to modern story-telling?

[@Furienna]

We should remember that some women managed to become a "perfect lady" too, like for example Jane Bennet.

[@michdie1046]

I call dibs on being the hag

[@veniceangelidelacruz2988]

I'm okay with the "The Nun" one as I can totally see myself as silent and just being in the background of a story; I like watching, commentating, and stuff that aren't attention seeking and keep me in a low profile so the less people think of me the more easily I can move and plan about... But there's "The Whore"?!!! Seriously??? I'd rather go for "The Hag" than go for that!

[@brontewcat]

I like this analysis, because I think you are right. It also shows that if Mary relaxed she could have been a really good player. But perhaps what she needed was someone who appreciated her, and then she wouldn’t need to try too hard.

[@Furienna]

@@veniceangelidelacruz2988 I don't believe that most girls planned to be "the whore". But that is what happened to many women back in the day, because they would just need to make one mistake to be branded as irreputable for life. PersonaIly, I think I would probably be a "nun" too.

[@ecarron6016]

I think that Mr Collins makes a more symmetrical equal opposite to Mr Wickham, than Mr Bingley does. Mr Collins, Darcy and Wickham are all love interests to Lizzie, so those are the 3 that Lizzie and the reader will be comparing most. Mr Bingley is so sweet and nice, his only fault is naivety, but he's not really on Lizzie's radar. Whereas with self-righteous Mr Collins and conniving Wickham either side of him, Darcy starts to look pretty balanced. And in Mansfield Park I think that Mrs Norris is meant to play the silly, overly self-righteous role that puts Fanny in the middle, but she doesn't achieve that purpose, because she's not the same age as the others.

[@MsJubjubbird]

I don't know if Mrs Norris plays that role though. While she is strict with Fanny, she is very lax morally with the other kids, letting them put on their play and forgiving Mariah.

[@renshiwu305]

True. Mr. Collins offers property, but no personality. Mr. Wickham offers personality, but no property. Mr. Darcy offers property, but uncertain personality. Sussing the truth of his nature is Lizzie's labor during the course of the book.

[@roguesmile1491]

I had the same thought watching the video. Mr. Collins struck me as more of a foil to Darcy than Bingley. Though there is some contrast in Darcy and Bingley's sociability.

[@briantaulbee5744]

I agree. I don't think that Bingley and Darcy are foils in that regard. Bingley is, if anything, a better version of Wickham; the same affability, without actually being a blackguard. Collins is probably the better foil; he is obsessed with simpering propriety (to Lady Catherine), and Wickham couldn't care less about propriety, while Darcy occupies the middle ground of caring about propriety, but on his own terms (admitting, of course, that Lizzy shows him how priggish his own terms have become).

[@MsJubjubbird]

@@briantaulbee5744 I agree. Likewise Collins is obsessed with flaunting his material possessions, position and connections and other superficial things. Wickham isn't too fussed unless it's marrying to settle his debts. Darcy cares and it's the reason he initially screws up his first proposal, but he doesn't flaunt it.

[@13140201]

I think you should have mentioned Emma and Mrs Elton, from Emma. They have a lot in common, they both come from wealthy families, they are young and beautiful, they received a marriage proposal from Mr Elton and they are always trying to "help to improve the the lives of the people in need", however the biggest difference is in their motivations, while Emma does it cause she genuinely cares about the people she is "helping", Mrs Elton does it just because she wants everyone to know how superior she is. In the beginning of the book the reader dislikes Emma cause she seems nosy and snobby, but the second Mrs Elton enters in the picture the reader gets to see Emma in a whole new light and starts rooting for her, because Mrs Elton makes Emma likable, by being the worst version of her. I don't know if I explained myself correctly, English isn't my first language.

[@monmothma3358]

Excellent analysis!

[@rhondajkestin]

I thought you were confusing the characters from Jane Austen's Emma with her Pride and Prejudice at first, but I admit I was confused!!!!

[@theway5563]

You explained yourself perfectly, and I agree with you. I hadn’t thought about that comparison. On another note, your English is superior to most who only speak English!!

[@Kangakool]

Siblings are such interesting characters in fiction and life, because they are essentially just an alternate version of you. They are what you could have been under only slightly different circumstances. Lizzie could have very easily been a Mary. Mary could have been a Kitty or a Lydia. It’s all a matter of our decisions and reactions to our situation. I like seeing Mary because she shows what the Bennet girls could have been if they had focused their time and energy on different things.

[@sammyvictors2603]

That's what i'm doing in my book. My sibling characters are also partly based on the Bennets, the Marches, and my own siblings.

[@returnoftheromans6726]

@@sammyvictors2603 Cool! Great authors you are following. Good luck!

[@veniceangelidelacruz2988]

That is an excellent explanation!

[@patsyhodge9071]

She would be the on who stays home and looks after the elderly parents.

[@sammyvictors2603]

That's kind of me, even though i'm a guy and not interested in marriage or family, only books and writing. And like the Bennets, i have a massive number of siblings, seven of us altogether.

[@monicacreator3168]

The one that looks after the parents, but isn't apreciated by them? Yeah,... I can see it

[@Furienna]

@@monicacreator3168 That is what the plan was for Edith on "Downton Abbey". She too was the mocked plain-looking middle child, who had to be neglected in favor of her prettier and more sociable sisters.

[@sacredrose5477]

A fantastic question would be, "How do we get Mr. Collins to notice Mary?" "Could she have spoken to her parents to put her forward?" Could she have subtly made herself an option?" Perhaps she could have engaged with Mr. Collins in a conversation about Fordyce's sermons and he could have possibly seen how compatible they both are.

[@EllieDashwood]

I’ve wondered the same things!!!!

[@bw3839]

Poor Mary, I don’t suppose she managed to pick up many tips on attracting a pompous and silly man in all her readings!

[@Salamon2]

I think even if Mary had done that, Mr. Collins had too high an opinion of himself to in his eyes "settle" for Mary. He's the guy who overreaches everything in life, even his choice in future brides. And besides, I think Mr. Collins was looking for some contrast with himself in some regards--not to the extent of going the polar opposite that there's nothing in common, but different enough from himself that he wasn't going to marry the female version of himself. I remember an old 1950s school video that I found on KZbin once which supports people choosing the middle option of what is different from them. Most people make the mistake of choosing someone too different or too alike, it posited. Someone who was just like you the video posited could come off seeming more like a sibling than someone to actually be interested in, and I think Mary might have come off the same way had she tried anything. Too much alike him.

[@nadiagoddard227]

I think Mr Collins talked a lot about finding a sensible young woman but he was just as susceptible as any young man to the charms of a pretty face and sexual attraction. I am afraid Mary wasn't competing on that level. Like Fanny Prince you would have to get to know her to appreciate her and she is still a very young woman perhaps her opinions would have softened in time

[@sarasamaletdin4574]

Regarding contrasts. I think this happens in real life too or in this case, in-universe. Mary looks unappealing even to Collins for the same psychological reasons even if he likes more of her values. But she is still less pleasant in terms of company and appearance. Once the extremes leave with Lydia, Jane and Elizabeth marrying Mary will look a lot better for the future suitors. Now she will be the Eleanor to Kitty’s Marianne who also will look better by contrast. Not that I am saying they are as virtuous or interesting as people. But it’s more similar first impressions for anyone knew they will meet. So in the future with the new first impression, some time to improve her skills and maybe lighten up with Kitty and her father probably spending a bit more time with her when others are gone Mary will look better as option to possible suitors (and it does help that her family is a lot less crazy and better connected and maybe Mr Bennett can save more dowries as well). I think Mary can marry. Probably other clergyman or maybe an older widow looking for a sensible wife.

[@kristentaylor5359]

I read The Other Bennett Sister and it focused on Mary. I loved how it gave us a background into why she might've acted the way she did and how she was finally able to get out from under her sister's shadows and have a fulfilling life

[@Ravenproctor2966]

I love that book.

[@kristentaylor5359]

@@Ravenproctor2966 me too!

[@mysticalmargaret6105]

Apart from Elizabeth and Darcy, Mary Bennett has always been a sentimental favorite of mine. I've always felt for her as the 'plain', overlooked daughter in the family. Neglected by her mother, not noticed much more by her father. Both of them openly favor two of her sisters - Lydia by Mrs. Bennett, Elizabeth by Mr. Bennett. Her youngest sister Lydia especially is heartless and cruel towards her, very disrespectful to her elder sister, who Lydia obnoxiously points out that 'no one danced with Mary'.

[@EllieDashwood]

She really does have such a hard life. 😔

[@Furienna]

Did I mention that I hate Lydia?

[@azdajajeanne]

This is so interesting! Now it makes me think of how "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" did this differently; using Lydia and Jane as polar opposites while Lizzie herself stays "the middle ground". And then later bringing in Mary to be a more direct foil to Lydia, like Charlotte is to Lizzie. Good analysis! Thanks for sharing it with us. :)

[@EllieDashwood]

That's so interesting!

[@lindawarden-burglund9603]

This is my first time on your channel and I enjoyed your analysis very much. It's particularly interesting to imagine what P&P would have been like without Mary. As a middle child myself, I've ways had a soft spot for Mary. Thank you , and I'll definitely be back!

[@aquamarin4851]

I also find the Gardiners very interesting. They seem to play the part of the only happy couple with sense, manners and a good heart and they outshine everyone by this but as they are of ‚lower class‘ their good impression comes with a huge surprise for Mr. Darcy. And in a way they remind me of the Crofts of Persuasion.

[@davidcashin1894]

Why does everyone forget Col Fitzwilliam? To my mind a truly balanced gentleman, just not rich. ?????

[@EllieDashwood]

He is super overlooked!

[@a.westenholz4032]

Indeed. He is the foil for Wickham- he too must marry for money and says so, and by introducing him as character JA is essentially asking the reader of her day what difference was there between Wickham being willing to marry for £10,000 and Col. Fitzwilliam needing to marry a fortune to maintain his lifestyle? Fitzwilliliam all but openly admits that he would propose to Lizzy if it wasn't for that. Personally I find the book rather overlooks him as well, and the hypocrisy he represents.

[@susietorres8600]

Let’s hope he met up with the daughter of a prosperous tradesman or something?

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

He's not as rich as he might like to be, but he's not Bennett-poor. He's a young man but a colonel at a time when commissions, and senior rank was purchased. Remember Darcy buys Wickham a commission as lieutenant in a northern regiment. But a colonelcy was vastly more expensive. There's a Wikipedia page on the cost then and what it would equate to in modern terms. Depending on his arm (infantry/cavalry) and the prestige of the regiment, he would have paid in today's money anything between half a million to a million pounds. Up to a year's worth of Darcy's income. Not poor by any means.

[@Theturtleowl]

I came for Mary Bennet, but I learned about how websites influence my shopping behaviour.

[@RandMontauk]

I think it’s interesting that Mary actually gives the audience a definition of pride and vanity in the early chapters that help the audience understand more about the failings of the characters throughout the novel. Even though she is a minor character she still pops in every so often to remind us of key themes at important junctures throughout the story.

[@TikiChaparita]

I always thought that Mary served as a Greek chorus - telling us what the lessons of the story was. I also thought that she may also be a version of the author. (Emphasis on a version). Thank you for this perspective.

[@scorpionqueenbeauty1019]

Jane austen had such a keen understanding of human interaction. She's hands down my favorite author.

[@beatriceschmid9]

As a native German speaker I'd say you nailed the pronunciation of "Doppelgänger", Bravo, Miss Dashwood!

[@kuroneko5390]

As an other native speaker of the german language, I agree.

[@christinpike4232]

I just started a new book called "The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennett" that offers an alternative perspective on this character...do far it's so good! Love how this video just popped up in my recommendations. :)

[@gentleeventful]

This reminds me of the old story of a king who drew a line in front of him and challenged people to make it smaller without touching it in any way. Somebody drew a longer line next to it and said now I have made smaller.

[@edithengel2284]

It is a tribute to Jane Austen as a writer that there are so many vigorous comment which defend or attack Mary and her sisters as if they were real people, 200 years after the death of their creator.

[@BuickDoc]

After 8 years studying English and American Literature, I have one question... Why in Hell didn't any teacher or Professor tell me about these literary tools? I kind of instinctively or subconsciously realized this was going on, but why in the Hell didn't they tell me? Did they not know? Did they want to keep a 'trade secret' to themselves? WTH Thanks!

[@lilacfantasy4]

Also, at the beginning of the book Mary makes some important remarks on Pride and vanity and the differences between the two.

[@biafrizon]

this is so fun to watch! glad you mentioned mr. thornton, he's EVERYTHING

[@EllieDashwood]

He needs more mentions then he gets. 😂

[@paulapoetry]

I found this fascinating. I agree about Mary's essential role, and the sense of character balance. I personally find Jane Bennet too good to be true, and slightly irritating, but recognise that her role is partly to make us like Elizabeth more. We relate more to Lizzy, as she is more flawed and less gullible. So, as well as Charlotte being a foil for Elizabeth, so is Jane. 😀❤

[@Ravenproctor2966]

I also think Jane Bennet is a little to good to be true.

[@linasayshush]

I've always really identified with Mary. I have a sister who's a lot like Kitty and Lydia (actually, that's her name) - precocious, loves to party and to be the center of attention - and I've always been way more like Mary.

[@dianaselnekovicova948]

Well fortunately you don’t have sisters Jane and Lizie😂now you are the most likeable character in my opinion

[@ranikster9955]

Me too

[@pattysherwood7091]

Mary is the female version of Mr Collins. But Mr Collins was so lacking in self awareness he could not recognize Mary.

[@anneblackwood9013]

Mary is so much the forgotten middle child that even in a video about her she doesn't get discussed until it's like halfway over XD

[@Ravenproctor2966]

I noticed that too.

[@melenatorr]

Thanks for this wonderful perspective on Mary's role in the novel. True to form, I've always gravitated toward Mary, because I feel she's been slighted. So I always feel the need to stand up for her (also, in the 1940s movie, she's played with delicate precision and innocence by Marsha Hunt, and I love the characterization there). Mary's piano playing is not mediocre - it's stated that she actually plays, technically, better than Elizabeth. Her problem is her presentation and her vanity in her skills. She comes off less pleasing than Elizabeth because she is pedantic and mechanical in her playing. She is hampered in the Bennet family: the only "plain" one. The one, indeed, in the middle; the sister without a companion. In this family, she has very little recourse, no allies, no support. Her father taunts her and catches her unaware. Her mother likely despairs of her more than the others. Her author has a poor opinion of her (generally speaking, in an Austen novel, if a character is named Mary or Richard, s/he is going to come off fairly poorly). She has to fight for some kind of position, and the one she's chosen is the one she can be control. No one stands up for her, or speaks for her. I always feel bad for Mary Bennet. Regarding Mary Crawford. It's been a while since I've read "Mansfield Park" (which I like, and I like Fanny; I have less affection for Edmund). I feel that this novel is complex regarding its characters, and it's more difficult to divide the central cast into standard roles. Mary and Henry come from a background that is opposite yet parallel to Fanny, having been deprived of positive parenting, and exposed to factors in life that Fanny, by way of being raised at Mansfield Park, has been spared of. Mary is the antagonist here, but I argue she is not a villain: she falls in love with Edmund despite herself; her love is not false; she is not consciously wooing Edmund away from from Fanny; she is genuinely happy at the thought of Fanny marrying Henry and being her sister. She is the foil to Fanny, down to her physical appearance, being, along with Fanny, small and lightweight (and "brown", like Elizabeth, who is also lightly-built). I feel that Mary would love to be the frivolous, materialistic, wicked villainess, and she does play at that when we meet her. But she is more than that, her experiences in the novel reveal that, and she is torn. She could go either way. She fails at the crucial moment, but by the end, she has learned (the hallmark of any Austen heroine), and has changed.

[@EllieDashwood]

Wow, I think that's so insightful about both Mary and Mary. Thanks for sharing!

[@reinlu3817]

but isn't Mr Bingley the middle ground between Wickham and Darcy? More outgoing than Darcy but still true and honest

[@didjaseemyjams1582]

I think so too! Maybe at first Wickham is the middle-ground but once we learn of his true nature then it changes to Bingley.

[@isha8229]

Umm maybe not, bingley is all good humour and good manners and not one blot on his character while wickham is his complete opposite, even if outwardly he has a disposition alike with that of bingley. So darcy is more balanced, having principles and morals but tending to be a snob and less considerate than bingley is of the social situation of the Bennett sisters. And of course darcy is not as bad as wickham so there we have it.

[@TheJocelynrae]

Darcy is the middle between Wickham and Collins

[@TJAllenwood]

I think this is one of my favorite videos of yours. It’s a very well reasoned argument for striking that middle ground between three characters or three types of characters. I wonder if Jane Austen saw these different types of characters in her life and utilized these extremes to highlight the virtue of her main character. This makes me begin to look at other stories, not even just in classic literature where this device has been used. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw, thank you so much! I wonder the same thing about Jane Austen. 🤔 And it is so fun to look for this device in stories!

[@BeardedBarley1]

Terrific study! Thank you so much for sharing. Isn’t it interesting how powerful the character of Mary is that it takes just one of her but two at the opposite end of the spectrum to balance out Jane and Lizzie? So it leads me to believe that Lizzie’s friend Charlotte was paired a bit with Mary’s character partially in order to bridge the gap between Lizzie and Mary so that Mary did not seem quite so like a flat character. Charlotte seemed to be the voice of reason when Lizzie’s romantic ideas were too unrealistic according to the time...though they appeal to us now. Homelessness and/or drudgery vs. marrying someone not quite up to snuff in order not to starve to death? Yeah... I did like Charlotte, though I think her type of reasoning rubs people the wrong way nowadays. She was forthright but politely so. She was assertive yet had no pride when it came to looking at herself. She was a realist but also understood how the ‘beautiful people’ were allowed more social license when picking a lifetime partner. What else could she have been in order to survive that time era? But it was people like her who were then able to breed, as lackluster as that is, if you really think about it. Just some thoughts.

[@EllieDashwood]

Thank you! And it’s true! Mary packs a power punch. 😂

[@BeardedBarley1]

@@EllieDashwood - Sorry for the edits. The topic just led me to think about it all some more. Thanks for your comment.

[@DespiSteffi]

Amazing!!! Just today I got (yet again) to the part where Mary comments about Lydia's lost virtue, and i kept thinking "why is she here again?"

[@EllieDashwood]

😂😂😂 Ahh, classic Mary. I’m so glad you like the video! 😃

[@joannamoody]

When I read Sense and Sensibility, I remember thinking that Elinor and Maryann Dashwood were as different as sisters could be. But after meeting the Steele sisters, it seemed that the Dashwood sisters were so similar to each other because they were so different from Lucy and Anne Steele. Thanks for explaining foils and doppelgängers. This makes Austen even more rich when I can use the correct terminology to explain why these novels are so good.

[@darleehart9782]

I’m a teacher and I’ve been looking for an excuse to insert this video into a lesson ever since it came out! I love it so much! But since I’m a substitute at the moment I don’t really have control over the lesson topics (not that normal teachers have it much better). Someday though I’ll manage it!!

[@SJRD18]

Wonderful! Thank you! There's one tiny mistake. Mary wouldn't have hit on Mr. Collins. She thought she was superior to him. Mary just wasn't that into Mr. Collins. It's all in this passage: "Mary might have been prevailed on to accept him [Mr. Collins]. She rated his abilities much higher than any of the others; there was a solidity in his reflections which often struck her, and though by no means so clever as herself, she thought that if encouraged to read and improve himself by such an example as hers, he might become a very agreeable companion."

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw, thank you! That's a good point. 🧐 I guess I've always interpreted that to mean that she found him as suitable a match for her as any that could aspire to her greatness. She'd hit on him and mould him to her superior tastes. 😂

[@emmarichardson965]

Is it weird that now seeing Mary as a younger version of Lady Catherine? 🤣

[@floraposteschild4184]

On the contrary. Some women like a "project" and to be the dominant partner. That he is moldable to her tastes and standards is a big plus.

[@laceandribbonsviolin]

Mary is very spirited and well versed in the “oughts” of life. I think with time people like her will start applying all that book larnin’ to real life and real relationships and have the potential to end up as empathetic beings, because they will understand how hard a standard perfection is to attain and how short we all fall despite pushing ourselves to try. She pushes herself to moral perfection and is introverted enough to know when she falls short. Knowing herself can help her know others and their motivations and failures better too, and then the choice is to extend grace (and extend herself grace) when she fails, or to doggedly pursue perfection. She has the potential to use her knowledge to forgive and encourage!

[@chrissiek8706]

Fun details: Talulah Riley, who plays Mery in 2005 P&P, was married to Elon Musk (Mrs Bennet would be proud 🤭), and you also may have seen her in Westworld, yes that hot tall blond robot that great guests 😉

[@ivanaradojevic7015]

This is so insightful. I've never thought of it but it makes so much sense. Nice analysis.

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw! Thank you!

[@lorisewsstuff1607]

Mr Bingly was the first foil to Mr Darcy that came to my mind. I guess because in the first party scene Bingly is being nice and making sure all the ladies are attended to while Darcy makes the excuse that they -and especially Elizabeth- aren't up to his standards. It really brings it home that Darcy is a jerk. Mary on the other hand is the character from all the Jane Austen novels that I feel the most sorry for. It's stated that she isn't pretty and she isn't talented though she tries hard to be. She is as bland as a person can be and there is nothing she can do about it. Unless Darcy takes pity and gives her a whopping big dowery she has zero prospects of ever marrying. She is destined to be poor and alone.

[@mamadeb1963]

According to Jane Austen, Mary eventually married an attorney from her uncle's office.

[@EllieDashwood]

Bingley is an excellent first foil for Darcy! And Mary’s character is pretty sad 😣. I think it is fascinating to think of what would happen to Mary after the book. 🤔 Jane Austen’s nephew wrote that Jane told her family that Mary would go on to marry one of her uncle Philip’s law clerks and was “content to be a star in the society of Meriton.”

[@bcent5758]

@@mamadeb1963 - is that in the book?

[@mamadeb1963]

@@bcent5758 No. This is what Jane Austen told her family.

[@leadingblind1629]

*Halfway through the video* "We'll get into why Mary Bennett is the most important character right after this" Me: Ok, I'll wait. 😅

[@estarramanderley8172]

Me: Oh, wait THAT was the topic of the video!

[@leadingblind1629]

@@estarramanderley8172 😂

[@EllieDashwood]

😂 Sorry!

[@estarramanderley8172]

@@EllieDashwood That's alright. The video is wonderful!

[@BB-jh7ek]

I thought she forget about topic 😂

[@MikaelaCher]

Talking about Wickham, it makes sense he's contrary to Darcy because that also makes the reader start liking him before Darcy, so when the reader finds out about Wickham's true personality they feel betrayed and see Darcy with even better eyes. Basically, Jane Austen knew what she was doing

[@claireleeee]

I’d always felt so sorry for Mary, but this video has done a great job of explaining why we need Mary in the story. Also anyone who feels this way should read The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow. It totally opened my eyes about Mary, her place within the family and why she did what she did.

[@oekmama]

It’s interesting how Wickham‘s friendliness pops when contrasted with Darcy‘s pride and prejudice (pun intended)… because when Austen flips it, we see that Lizzie also had been prejudging and proud of it… I love your theory of the middle ground (and your graphics are absolutely lovely!)…

[@julecaesara482]

KZbin has kindly recommended this video to me and I just have to point out that my initial thoughts were "A Dashwood explaining Jane Austen is just what we all need" and I was not disappointed

[@dorothywillis1]

Excellent analysis! Usually people talk about Mary as a character and why she is the way she is. It's interesting to consider how she works in the mechanism of the story line. I appreciate the comparison to Fanny Price. I have always said if I could ask Jane Austen one question it would be, "What did you intend in Mansfield Park and what went wrong?" Your analysis is the first one I have seen that sounds plausible for why Fanny just doesn't quite "work" for many people. And Mary Crawford as the rational middle ground doesn't work either, as she is not someone I would consider admirable. All together, very interesting!

[@RomeoandJuliet55]

I've always wondered why Mrs. Bennet didn't direct Mr. Collins to Mary when Jane wasn't available. Is it because it was standard practice at the time to have the eldest married, or was it another way of Austin showing how little Mrs Bennett knows her children outside of Lydia. If she had suggested Mr. Collins propose to Mary the marriage would have been secured and the future of the house safe because they are more similar, but she tells Collins to ask Lizzy, the one most unlike Collins in everyway possible and the one headstrong enough to do her own thing.

[@edithengel2284]

She didn't really have a chance. Lizzie was second in seniority and beauty to Jane, and going to be more attractive as an option for Mr. Collins. When Lizzie rejected him, Mrs. Bennet might have offered Mary, but Charlotte was too quick for her--and Charlotte was a more attractive option.

[@Marielusi]

But Mary doesn't have poor piano skills?! Isn't it described somehow that she plays pretty well, but because she is so vein about it that it doesn't give as much pleasure to listen to her than to Lizzie who has mediocre skills? And didn't even the Bingley sisters say that she was the most accomplished player there? And the embarrassing the family: wasn't it described as such, that Mr. Bennets way of stopping Mary's playing was more embarassing than Mary? Maybe I don't remember correctly.

[@malenaparnetti9792]

there's actually a book by Katherine J. Chen called "Mary B." and it tells Mary's story, all from the beginning, even before Pride and Prejudice, and it also shows years after the marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy. I think it's an amazing book and, even if it was not written by Jane Austen, it really caught her essence. I highly recommend it.

[@HaneenIAdam]

I love Mary Bennet💗, definitely deserves her own book. This video was educational, visually beautiful and such an indulgence, frankly your whole channel is a guilty pleasure of mine when procrastinating work. Truly, thank you Ellie for your content and literary for existing ❤

[@ZiggyWhiskerz]

Ellie, you are exactly the type of person I would be very good friends with! I wish we could be irl. Much love. 💕💕

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw, thank you!

[@ZiggyWhiskerz]

@@EllieDashwood really though. You're lovely. Thank you for your videos. 😍

[@valq10]

This is so not random ramblings! This is a deep, wonderful (and useful!) analysis. Thank you for your insight and clarity.

[@jenelvergara1858]

This video makes sense of Mansfield Park. I think Austen wants the moral side of the extreme to be appreciated and let us remember that at some point we can identify with it too.

[@heatherb2307]

Super interesting perspective, especially about Fanny in Mansfield Park. Thanks for the insightful video.

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw, thank you!

[@heatherb2307]

@@EllieDashwood Welcome!

[@TVandManga]

I agree, the Mansfield Park discussion made it really clear why Mary is essential.

[@susanmercurio1060]

Thank you for pointing out the balance of the characters and how Mary Bennett is the foil and also the extreme whi makes Jane and Elizabeth look moderate.

[@BuickDoc]

I wish you had taught my English Lit class! Your observations about human nature, the social mores of the time, as well as the literary devices you describe, would have been helpful. I realize that that wish is a forlorn one: I took English Lit 60 years ago...

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw, thank you! Maybe a time machine would help this endeavor... 😂

[@karlacastaneda8542]

Tus explicaciones llenan los espacios vacíos que me urgían llenar después de terminar de leer Orgullo y prejuicio! Me encanta que vas más allá! Y amo que tengan subtítulos en español, gracias por estos increíbles videos!! ❤️

[@jaimicottrill2831]

Really interesting analysis! I learnt a lot. I would just like to say though about John Thorton’s character in the beginning. We see him beating a poor person that true, but then when we learn the why of it, ( the guy was smoking ,which was incredibly dangerous in a factory and against the rules. And we learn it’s not the first time he’s done it either), that, more than being compared to the other factory owners, made me like him more.

[@EllieDashwood]

So true! That’s why I said it was one way. They had to make him more likable through multiple means. And that was just one of them.

[@jaimicottrill2831]

@@EllieDashwood yes, absolutely! Plus it didn’t hurt that he was played by Richard Armitage! 😂

[@jaimicottrill2831]

@Jonathan Parks yes, agree. But I think Thornton was so angry at the man for constantly endangering everyone at the factory by sneaking smokes, and he talks about seeing the effects of a fire in a factory. Still not right to beat someone, but a little bit more understandable.

[@emmarichardson965]

@@jaimicottrill2831 Exactly that. Absolutely an overreaction, but an understandable one when other factors (the level of danger to everyone around him, the fact that it wasn't the first time, that the worker was an adult who knew better) are taken into account.

[@vero0641]

Me encanta Orgullo y Prejuicio y ver que no soy la unica que puede pasar horas hablando de esta novela es asombroso.

[@biafrizon]

Just shared this video on a fb jane austen fan group, hope it helps, you deserve to grow so much :)

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw, thank you so much!!! I really appreciate it ☺️

[@kg3185]

I loved Fanny in Mansfield Park. I liked that in spite of everyone around her pushing her to go against her conscience, she was able to hold her own. I can also understand what it feels like to have my dignity stolen because of my economic means(because I'm poor). Maybe the reason why most people don't like her is because they know someone like her and they treat their aquantience the way that Fanny was treated throughout the story. Thank you for giving me insight to this. It gave me a greater understanding of the human condition. lol

[@RestlessHarp]

This is so interesting! I never thought about the deliberate choices made in putting certain characters together. That makes so much sense. I'm definitely thinking about this now for my own story!

[@miagvinjilia]

Well at the end of the book Jane Lizzy and Lydia got married and moved away, which leaves Mary and Kitty together in the house alone. Which in my opinion could be an opportunity for them to form a closer friendship and balance out each other's extreme tendencies.

[@Furienna]

Mary was only "extreme" because nobody cared about her.

[@miagvinjilia]

@@Furienna Yes, I agree. She was ignored by her parents and her sisters. It wasn't surprising that she tried to stand out by acting different from everyone else.

[@edithengel2284]

Apparently they weren't that much together, as Kitty spends most of her time with Jane and Lizzie after they get married. Mary spends some time with her parents, but Jane Austen's relatives say that she told them she imagined Mary getting married to one of her uncle's law clerks.

[@saku577]

If the Bennet family were Catholic, Mary could have just entered a convent. She would have fit right in, methinks.

[@EllieDashwood]

She totally would have. 😂

[@barbarak2836]

At least she would have gotten a little attention. Her family certainly didn't seem to like her.

[@MsJubjubbird]

I'd be interested in a video on Kitty and Mrs Hurst- the impact of a shadow

[@scottlang7271]

I'd like to see one about Mr. and Mrs Hirst. I wonder if they had actually been a strong influence that made Lizzie and Jane turn out the way they did from when they were younger?

[@scorpionqueenbeauty1019]

Ellie will you make a video dissecting Willoughby's visit to the Palmer's where he speaks to Elinor? It's always been my favorite part of the book, and one I find that has the most depth.

[@avernion]

I have no words for how much I loved this video. PnP is one of my absolute favourite stories of all time. I’ve read the book more than once, seen the miniseries to the point where I know the lines by heart, and had my heart broken by just how horrific the American adaptation was. What you say in this video is so much along the lines of how I have thought and analysed these characters it almost feels like you’ve read my mind. Such an interesting video! Thank you for making it :3

[@טליאבישי-ר7ת]

I've just discovered you and I'm hooked! You really stretched my mind!

[@EllieDashwood]

Yay! Welcome to the channel!

[@SherBearry]

Wow - I'm so glad I found this channel. I feel like I really learned something valuable about writing. Thank you, Ms. Dashwood!

[@perdidoatlantic]

I’ve always seen Mary as sweet and forgotten being alone and between two sets of sisters with more extroverted personalities. In the right marriage and social position I can see her becoming another Lady Catherine DeBerg. Mary has a lot of simmering hostility and resentment. A rich socially connected husband dying early in the marriage would leave Mary to become another tyrant. I would read that book.

[@dahliaherrod4301]

LMAO! I would too!

[@smollilbean]

Wow yours is a completely different perspective! Intresting. All others are saying that Mary ends up marrying below her social status, to a clerk and lives an extremely below par medicore life. But I love your perspective too. It is true that Mary is full of hostility and resentment out of being neglected and i could totally see her become someone like de bourg.

[@asdabir]

I enjoyed this analysis very much. You hit the nail on the head regarding Mary’s role in the novel. Also interesting that the main characters in sense and sensibility are foils of each other, yet they are both protagonists and we see both of their point of view and empathize with them.

[@EllieDashwood]

It's so true, how Jane Austen pulled Sense and Sensibility off so wonderfully is amazing!

[@Raphtacular]

There's a good book titled "Mary Bennet: pride, prejudice and the forgotten sister" by Jennifer Paynter that's really good and gives a great look at Mary's life. Would definitely recommend

[@Lizzy98163]

Great video! I always thought that Mary was a way to compare and disapprove the behavior of the two youngest siblings, but with your explanation it makes a lot of sense the fact that Jane and Elizabeth are very well liked. You just gave us the reason why there are five sisters instead of two. Keep it going! Nueva suscriptora!!! 😁❤

[@debbee1145]

I like Fanny but Mansfield Park is my least favorite of Jane Austen's novels because of how abusive Fanny's family members are toward her 🙁

[@smollilbean]

Can you recommend the order of Jane Austen's books please? Really liked pride and prejudice and some people have said that it's Jane Austen's best work. So i probably should have read it last. Is persuasion good enough? Or sense and sensibility?

[@hayleigh7354]

why did this entire video feel like a lightbulb moment. like all of this makes so much sense in my head but i had just never thought about it before and now I’m noticing these things in so many books i’ve read. this is so interesting to think about

[@EllieDashwood]

Yay, I'm so glad you found it interesting! 😃

[@korinemlbernard3256]

Just discovered your channel. I enjoyed the video. I have seldom seen the "foils" in literature explain so clearly and simply. Looking forward to watching more. Thank you for sharing 👍🏾❤️🇨🇦

[@EllieDashwood]

Welcome to the channel! 😃 And thank you so much!

[@layleila2971]

Wow, great job! I really enjoyed this video! I’ve watched other channels’ videos regarding Mary and they were good, but none of them have been as insightful as yours! I feel like you nailed this spot on!! Thank you for your videos. I really enjoy them. 😁😊🥰

[@debshaw680]

I think Kitty is also really a character more like Elizabeth and Jane. Her behavior is influenced by her spoiled and petted younger sister and by her mother’s neglect. Once the influence was removed, Kitty behaved like a lady. I can’t even imagine what happened to Mary to make her turn out as she did. It’s really sad. My guess is that it has to do with being less attractive and intelligent as her older sisters.

[@luniasta]

I literally thought earlier today about how cool of a video topic this would be to see and then yt showed me this and also such a good quality video! Love it

[@denisematos2335]

But my prefered is Anne Elliot. First time i read Persuasion i thought It was so beautiful, because she pays attention to people no one does, including children, not rich people, a really gentle person.

[@marion9466]

Love your outfit today it looks so good! As always a very good video that helps to make more sense of the books. I'm going to try and notice wich characters are foils of each other now!

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw, thank you! And foil hunting can be fun. 😂

[@MomAlicia5]

I think Mr. Collins is the male version of Mary. He is self-righteous, pious, opposite of Mr. Wickham. I enjoyed your video. You do a great job!

[@EllieDashwood]

Aw, thank you so much! 😃😃😃

[@billylin5404]

It seems like Mary has inherited lots of the introvert characteristics from Mr. Bennet.

[@EllieDashwood]

That's interesting! I hadn't thought about that before. 🧐

[@billylin5404]

@@EllieDashwood This notion also just occurred to me today when I when I was watching your video. 😄

[@jackievds1776]

Yeah! It's interesting how those same characteristics come across 'better' (or more socially acceptable) in an older man than in a younger woman

[@Furienna]

@@jackievds1776 People were also more likely to accept Elizabeth than Mary. She's Mr Bennet's favorite daughter and the one who he probably thinks is the most like him with her snarky and witty personality. It is believed that Mary is meant to be "smart in the worst possible way", or even a "know-nothing-know-it-all". Elizabeth by contrast would then be meant to be "smart in the best possible way", as well as much prettier and more sociable than Mary. Seriously though, I have to say that I see her as an arrogant bitch. She is not even able to let Mary be the best in the family at playing the piano! Everything has to be about how great Elizabeth always is at whatever she is doing. And I just feel Mary's pain as she is the only plain-looking and socially awkward Bennet sister. Some people make a big deal out of how Mary is supposedly not as smart as she thinks she is and doesn't understand what she reads and blah blah blah. But I can only see this as modern people being ignorant enough to repeat the Regency Era's prejudices against girls, who preferred to read books instead of dancing at balls. The problem is rather that nobody listens to Mary, because they all just decide that she has nothing important to say anyway. And it becomes easier for them to just brand her as "preachy" and "boring" and "just as foolish as Lydia in her own way" than to adjust their own attitude towards her. Mr Bennet who should have been happy to guide Mary in intellectual pursuits was blocked from helping her by Elizabeth, who refused to share her spot as their father's favorite with her. And I don't believe that anyone else cared if she was alive or not...

[@melissal8445]

Interesting points. I would add that Austen was influenced by Wollstencraft so Mary is also a symbol of why being “accomplished” in the traditional sense of the 1810s wasn’t a good thing for a woman to focus on. It didn’t make her more of a catch, none of the men chased her (they also never said she was unattractive, she just seems boring and unpleasant), so Mary was also Austen taking a swipe at social customs saying that these were things to aspire to.

[@isabellagonzalez5695]

I do really wish there was justice for Mary’s character. Growing up I always wanted to see Mary kind of have an explosive moment to call out her family’s behavior towards her. I wanted Mary to find a angle of passion and really begin to make her own way. Like maybe she gets fed up with everyone bashing her playing, so she finds a mentor and becomes truly great. Or something like that Lol.

[@Furienna]

Yeah...

[@ratcheez]

I have a new respect and understanding for Mary now that I'm playing her in the play. She's such a fun character to play as well!