I had always thought of them as poor Upper Class, mainly due to Elizabeth's rebuttal to Lady Catherine ("He is a gentleman, I am a gentleman's daughter. So far we are equal"). But this has really made me think about it a little more.
I would not describe the Bennets as poor. In fact, they seemed to live rather comfortably. The Dashwoods in "SENSE AND SENSIBILITY" seemed a lot closer to the portrait of "poor Upper Class".
The problem in "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" is that Mr. Bennet did not have enough money to provide decent dowries for his five daughters - dowries big enough to easily attract a decent suitor.
Very interesting! I think I've been along these lines of thinking - that is, that the Bennets are relatively rich and upper class (just not as much as Darcy). I remember hearing that Mr Bennet has £2000 a year - the same as Colonel Brandon - so he is actually quite rich, he is just unable to leave the money with his wife and daughters (or however you want to say it).
I like how you pointed out the origin of the Bingley fortune and how they are actually of a lower status than the Bennets, even if they have more money. It's easy to forget they aren't far from their trade-beginnings.
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I had always thought of them as poor Upper Class, mainly due to Elizabeth's rebuttal to Lady Catherine ("He is a gentleman, I am a gentleman's daughter. So far we are equal"). But this has really made me think about it a little more.
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The problem in "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" is that Mr. Bennet did not have enough money to provide decent dowries for his five daughters - dowries big enough to easily attract a decent suitor.
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I like how you pointed out the origin of the Bingley fortune and how they are actually of a lower status than the Bennets, even if they have more money. It's easy to forget they aren't far from their trade-beginnings.
Thanks for sharing!
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