In her critical essay on Pride and Prejudice, author Susan Fraiman analyzes the relationship between Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth (as well as the other sisters) and the effect that Elizabeth's marriage to Mr. Darcy has on their relationship. The author argues that Mr. Bennet's "business" is to marry off his daughters. Fraiman writes, "This ceremony--posing father as giver, daughter as gift--could be said to underlie and ultimately belie the relation of fathers to daughters in Pride and Prejudice." To support her argument, Fraiman using the example of Lydia and Mr. Bennet's inability to "...protect Lydia from ruinous male designs..." The author believes that Mr. Bennet's "profligacy" in his dealing with Lydia is, "...an extreme instance of a general, cheerful readiness to bestow his daughters upon anyone who knocks at the door." The author goes on to argue how she believes Mr. Bennet loses some of his authority following Lydia's elopement with Mr. Wickam. I would disagree with argument because I think it is after Lydia's scandalous marriage to Wickam that Mr. Bennet begins to become more involved in his daughters' lives especially when it comes to their romantic endeavors. Yes, he still pails in comparison to Mrs. Bennet but it is a step up compared to how he behaved at the beginning of the novel. The biggest example we see of Mr. Bennet's decision to become involved in his daughter's lives comes when Kitty mentions the idea of going away not unlike Lydia only to be turned down by Mr. Bennet who tells Kitty that he has learned from his past mistakes (that mistake being Lydia.)
Fraiman made mention of how women were essentially "currency" in the novel. Do you think this is a fair assessment?
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