History YMMV / PrideAndPrejudice

** A fair few feminist critics of the book posit Elizabeth as being just as materialistic as any of the less sympathetic characters by focusing on her feelings for Darcy changing as she visits his magnificent estate. (Considering that, during this retelling, Jane immediately thereafter entreats her to please be serious, these critics may have missed the mark, or at least the humour — especially as Lizzie may have referred to the fact that said estate was well-organized and full of servants gushing over Mr. Darcy, which indeed ''was'' a turning point for her.)

* RonTheDeathEater: As mentioned above, some modern-day critics seize on Elizabeth's comment that her feelings for Darcy changed after seeing his grand estate as evidence that she is selfish, materialistic and shallow -- ignoring that, in context, she is clearly making a joke. Not to mention, in the book, when she first sees the estate, she comments to herself that it all could've been hers had she married Darcy... and then promptly reminds herself that she doesn't like him and considers him to be a massive prick, so she's glad she turned him down, estate or no estate. (There is also the fact that the gushing servants and obviously well-kept estate convince Lizzie that perhaps Mr. Darcy is not quite as bad as she thought and the letter in which he detailed his side of the Wickham story may be really true. Pemberley does prove he's rich, but the important bit is that it also proves he's a ''good person''. It's one big NiceToTheWaiter.)

* RonTheDeathEater: As mentioned above, some modern-day critics seize on Elizabeth's comment that her feelings for Darcy changed after seeing his grand estate as evidence that she is selfish, materialistic and shallow -- ignoring that, in context, she is clearly making a joke. Not to mention, in the book, when she first sees the estate, she comments to herself that it all could've been hers had she married Darcy... and then promptly reminds herself that she doesn't like him and considers him to be a massive prick, so she's glad she turned him down, estate or no estate. (There is also the fact that the gushing servants and obviously well-kept estate convince Lizzie that perhaps Mr. Darcy is not quite as bad as she thought and the letter in which he detailed his side of the Wickham story may be really true.)

** While Mrs. Bennet was always intended to come off as silly, she comes off as significantly more so to modern readers than she did to readers in Austen's time, when marrying well was actually essential to a woman's future financial security. This is especially true with the Bennet sisters, who would lose everything upon their father's death (since the estate is passing to Mr. Collins) if they have not yet married, and who would have a very difficult time supporting themselves or gaining employment (the upbringing of a Regency gentlewoman wasn't exactly geared towards actual work, except maybe being a governess, and the younger girls haven't had a good enough education to be good at that). To put it in perspective, a modern analogue would be the "helicopter parents" who obsess over their kids getting into a good university. ''Film/BrideAndPrejudice'' notably makes her obsessed with securing green cards so the daughters can go to America. ''What'' she wants isn't silly--it's ''how'' she acts when she's trying to get it.

-->''Elizabeth, however, had never been blind to the impropriety of her father’s behaviour as a husband. She had always seen it with pain; but respecting his abilities, and grateful for his affectionate treatment of herself, she endeavoured to forget what she could not overlook, and to banish from her thoughts that continual breach of conjugal obligation and decorum which, in exposing his wife to the contempt of her own children, was so highly reprehensible.'''

** A fair few feminist critics of the book posit Elizabeth as being just as materialistic as any of the less sympathetic characters by focusing on her feelings for Darcy changing as she visits his magnificent estate. (Considering that, during this retelling, Jane immediately thereafter entreats her to please be serious, these critics may have missed the mark, or at least the humor- especially as Lizzie may have referred to the fact that said estate was well-organized and full of servants gushing over Mr. Darcy, which indeed ''was'' a turning point for her.)

** For that matter, some people feel that Mr Bennett is portrayed FAR too sympathetically. He is inarguably just as responsible for the way Lydia has turned out as his wife, and arguably moreso, as unlike her, he is relatively intelligent, but has spent the entire time making fun of his wife and daughters, rather than correcting them. Yet, somehow, he is treated as a good, albeit, flawed father.

** Depending on the writer/director, Mr. Collins ranges from "awkward and stupid but sincere" (2005 movie) to "probably some kind of sexual predator" (''Series/LostInAusten''). The 2005 version is actually truer to the original than many other adaptations, especially those that make him into a rapist. Austen was a rector’s daughter; she might poke fun at the clergy but Collins never gets any worse than stupid and overly conventional in the text.

** Some fans are convinced that Mary secretly has feelings for Mr Collins, and that she was hoping he would propose to her as the next sister in prominence after Lizzy turns him down. There is almost no textual evidence for her love, just Mrs. Bennet's speculation and the narrator's note that Mary finds him more agreeable than the rest of the Bennets.
--->''"Mrs. Bennet wished to understand by it that [Mr Collins] thought of paying his addresses to one of her younger girls, and Mary might have been prevailed on to accept him. 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."''

** Kate Beaton's "[[http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=120 Ooh, Mr. Darcy!]]" from ''Webcomic/HarkAVagrant''. Mr Darcy ripping his shirt is so memetic and so hot that bodices rip on their own and men turn gay.

** Everyone's reaction towards fifteen-year-old Lydia running off with mid-twenties Wickham. Today, it would be more like "arrest that creeper!" But Lydia's family gets them quietly married so as not to arouse suspicion and gossip, which would have ruined the family. Darcy is ahead of the times by trying to get Lydia to leave Wickham when he first finds them, only arranging their marriage after she refuses to come to her senses and go home. (He also ''did'' manage to get his own sister away from Wickham.) While they're all really unhappy about the wedding, especially because of the groom, they also acknowledge that it's the best solution they've got -- because at the time, once things had gone that far it really was. (Blink and you'll miss it, since it's in old Regency slang, but there's a reference to the possibility of Lydia having to go into sex work instead.) Lydia is very often sympathised with these days, as a naive and headstrong girl who lacked parental guidance and discipline, who was preyed upon by a much older man and doesn't think about the consequences of her actions; as a result she ends up stuck in a loveless and unsuccessful marriage. Austen and her Regency readers are much more critical of Lydia, as she's still blatantly selfish and her actions could not only destroyed her reputation but that of her family, which she never expresses any regret for or even acknowledges.

** Everyone's reaction towards fifteen-year-old Lydia running off with mid-twenties Wickham. Today, it would be more like "arrest that creeper!" But Lydia's family gets them quietly married so as not to arouse suspicion and gossip, which would have ruined the family. Darcy is ahead of the times by trying to get Lydia to leave Wickham when he first finds them, only arranging their marriage after she refuses to come to her senses and go home. (He also ''did'' manage to get his own sister away from Wickham.) While they're all really unhappy about the wedding, especially because of the groom, they also acknowledge that it's the best solution they've got -- because at the time, once things had gone that far it really was. (Blink and you'll miss it, since it's in old Regency slang, but there's a reference to the possibility of Lydia having to go into sex work instead.) Lydia is very often sympathised with these days, as a naive and headstrong girl who lacked parental guidance and discipline, who was preyed upon by a much older man and doesn't think about the consequences of her actions; as a result she ends up stuck in a loveless and unsuccessful marriage. Austen and Regency society is much more critical of Lydia, as she's still blatantly selfish and her actions hurt not only her reputation but that of her family.

** While Mrs. Bennet was always intended to come off as silly, she comes off as significantly more so to modern readers than she did to readers in Austen's time, when marrying well was actually essential to a woman's future financial security. This is especially true with the Bennet sisters, who would lose everything upon their father's death (since the home is passing to Mr. Collins) if they have not yet married, and who would have a very difficult time getting jobs (the upbringing of a Regency gentlewoman wasn't exactly geared towards actual work, except maybe governessing, and the younger girls haven't had good enough educations to be good at that). To put it in perspective, a modern analogue would be the "helicopter parents" who obsess over their kids getting into a good university. ''Film/BrideAndPrejudice'' notably makes her obsessed with securing green cards so the daughters can go to America. ''What'' she wants isn't silly--it's ''how'' she acts when she's trying to get it.

** While Mrs. Bennet was always intended to come off as silly, she comes off as significantly more so to modern readers than she did to readers in Austen's time, when marrying well was actually essential to a woman's future financial security. This is especially true with the Bennet sisters, who would lose everything upon their father's death (since the home is passing to Mr. Collins) if they have not yet married. To put it in perspective, a modern analogue would be the "helicopter parents" who obsess over their kids getting into a good university. ''Film/BrideAndPrejudice'' notably makes her obsessed with securing green cards so the daughters can go to America.
** Following on from that, modern readers can take a while to realise that Mr. Bennet, while he makes some hilarious quips, proves to be a fairly shrewd judge of character (especially when it comes to Wickham) and is a loving father to Jane and Elizabeth, is also a prime example of a ''bad'' husband and father. The reason Mrs. Bennet is so desperate to get her daughters married is because Mr. Bennet hasn't done nearly enough to secure their future, and a Regency audience would recognise just how badly he failed in his role as 'head of the household'.

** [[ValuesDissonance Modern readers and audiences]] are more inclined toward sympathy for Lydia because of her young age. Much of the blame for how she turned out can be laid on Mr. Bennet's shoulders for his favoritism of Elizabeth and Jane over his three younger daughters, and Mrs. Bennet for spoiling Lydia rotten and encouraging her to 'get a husband' as soon as possible and ''without'' considering the consequences. Lydia also seems to harbor a lot of jealousy of Elizabeth because of their father's favoritism. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor The poor girl is so anxious to be seen as grown up]] but does not yet realize what growing up will mean.

** [[ValuesDissonance Modern readers and audiences]] are more inclined toward sympathy for Lydia because of her young age. Much of the blame for how she turned out can be laid on Mr. Bennet's shoulders for his favoritism for Lizzie and Jane over the younger three. Lydia also seems to harbor a lot of jealousy of Lizzie because of their father's favoritism. [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor The poor girl is so anxious to be seen as grown up]] but does not yet realize what growing up will mean.
** Depending on the writer/director, Mr. Collins ranges from "awkward and stupid but sincere" (2005 movie) to "probably some kind of sexual predator" (''Series/LostInAusten''). The 2005 version is actually truer to the original than many other adaptations, especially those that make him into a rapist. Austen was a rector’s daughter; she might poke fun at the clergy but Collins never gets any worse than stupid and overly conventional.

** Everyone's reaction towards fifteen-year-old Lydia running off with mid-twenties Wickham. Today, it would be more like "arrest that creeper!" But Lydia's family gets them quietly married so as not to arouse suspicion and gossip, which would have ruined the family. Darcy is ahead of the times by trying to get Lydia to leave Wickham when he first finds them, only arranging their marriage after she refuses to come to her senses and go home. (He also ''did'' manage to get his own sister away from Wickham.) While they're all really unhappy about the wedding, especially because of the groom, they also acknowledge that it's the best solution they've got--because at the time, once things had gone that far it really was. (Blink and you'll miss it, since it's in old Regency slang, but there's a reference to the possibility of Lydia having to go into sex work instead.) Lydia is very often sympathised with these days, as a naive and headstrong girl who lacked parental guidance and discipline, who was preyed upon by a much older man and doesn't think about the consequences of her actions; as a result she ends up stuck in a loveless and unsuccessful marriage. Austen and Regency society is much more critical of Lydia, since she's still blatantly selfish and her actions hurt not only her reputation but that of her family.

** In these days when TallDarkAndSnarky has become such a popular character type for male romantic leads, readers are likely to wonder just what Lizzie's problem with Darcy is, when at the time his wisecracks would just seem horribly rude. They also tend to overlook the fact that ''he insulted her personally'' (Elizabeth: "I would be able to forgive his pride if he had not mortified ''mine''."); modern culture tends to position the DeadpanSnarker as a rather admirable character, but it's a different story when you're on the receiving end of his insults.

** Everyone's reaction towards fifteen-year-old Lydia running off with mid-twenties Wickham. Today, it would be more like "arrest that creeper!" But Lydia's family gets them quietly married so as not to arouse suspicion and gossip, which would have ruined the family. Darcy is ahead of the times by trying to get Lydia to leave Wickham when he first finds them, only arranging their marriage after she refuses to come to her senses and go home. (He also ''did'' manage to get his own sister away from Wickham.) While they're all really unhappy about the wedding, especially because of the groom, they also acknowledge that it's the best solution they've got--because at the time, once things had gone that far it really was. (Blink and you'll miss it, since it's in old Regency slang, but there's a reference to the possibility of Lydia having to go into sex work instead.)
*** Lydia herself is very often sympathised with these days, as a naive and headstrong girl who lacked parental guidance and discipline, who was preyed upon by a much older man and doesn't think about the consequences of her actions; as a result she ends up stuck in a loveless and unsuccessful marriage. Austen and Regency society is much more critical of Lydia, since she's still blatantly selfish and her actions hurt not only her reputation but that of her family.

** There are some who wonder if Mrs Bennett really deserves as much scorn as Lizzy throws on her. While she's incredibly embarrassing, it should be noted that she's trying to make sure her daughters have a roof over their heads when Mr Bennett dies. It becomes even clearer in the 1980 miniseries, where Mrs. Bennet is portrayed in a more sympathetic light, where she's a bit of a ditz with a MotorMouth, albeit less so than in the novel, while it's made very clear that she wants what's best for her daughters, making Lizzie seem UnintentionallyUnsympathetic at times.
** Some adaptations portray Mary in a much more sympathetic light, emphasizing her plainness and bookwormishness compared to her more attractive and outgoing sisters. Even amongst those who have only read the book, Mary has a sizable fanbase. The 2005 adaptation gives a few hints that she falls for Mr. Collins during his stay. The 1940 film ends with [[spoiler: her being wooed by a clerk from the bookstore she is first seen in at the beginning of the movie - and he accompanies her on the flute as she sings!]]

** Depending on the writer/director, Mr Collins ranges from "awkward and stupid but sincere" (2005 movie) to "probably some kind of sexual predator" (''Series/LostInAusten''). The 2005 version is actually truer to the original than many other adaptations, especially those that make him into a rapist. Austen was a rector’s daughter; she might poke fun at the clergy but Collins never gets any worse than stupid and overly conventional.

** The one choice that seems to be almost universally preferred is the casting of Rosamund Pike as Jane in the 2005 version. Most fans feel that the 2005 Jane is more fleshed-out and interesting as a character, and avoids the accusations of InformedAttractiveness that are often levelled at Susannah Harker in the role.

** Mr Darcy is an unusual example of this trope. The point of the story is to not judge by first impressions alone, and Elizabeth does discover that Darcy can be a genuinely decent and noble person once she manages to look past the unfavourable view she initially developed of him. However, many readers tend to extrapolate this to view Darcy as a borderline saint who was always completely misunderstood and perfect. In fact, ''Darcy himself'' admits that many of Elizabeth's initial criticisms of his character were, in fact, entirely justified -- he genuinely could be a bit of a cold, unpleasant snob (albeit not nearly the hateful bastard that Elizabeth had convinced herself he was), his interference in Bingley and Jane's relationship was unacceptable, and he had to do plenty of soul-searching and improvement of his character in order to become a man worthy of her affections.
** A lot of Mr. Bennet's fans tend to gloss over the fact that, while he is sympathetic, funny, and loving towards Elizabeth and Jane, he was a crappy husband to the admittedly exhausting Mrs. Bennet, and did a lousy job with his three younger daughters. Yes, Lydia caused a lot of trouble, but she may not have been so foolish and impulsive if her own father had bothered to try and steer her in a better direction. Even Elizabeth, who loves him dearly, acknowledges that he had a hand in this mess, and is frustrated by his apathy and detachment.
** Mrs Bennet is a bit of an odd example of this trope, in that she tends to benefit from it more from a contemporary perspective. As noted above, modern feminist readings of the novel tend to prioritise the fact that Mrs Bennet has an undeniable point that, should her daughters not marry, the entire family faces destitution, and that the novel's tendency to treat her as a fool can be somewhat unjust in this respect. However, some of these readings can go a bit too far with regards to how wise and virtuous Mrs Bennet is, and consequently forget that this is more a case of JerkassHasAPoint than Mrs Bennet being a legitimately good and decent person unfairly disdained by the novel and her family members. While she is correct on this one issue, Mrs Bennet is nevertheless still frivolous, self-centred, hypocritical, inept as a parent, greedy, uncouth, tactless and legitimately foolish in other key respects. And even her concern for the marital state of her daughters can be legitimately read as more mercenary and flippant than more favorable readings can be willing to admit -- she focuses heavily on how her daughters being single affects her personally, and seems more concerned about her daughters simply marrying in and of itself rather than marrying ''well'' (that is, marrying someone who will treat them decently in addition to securing their financial futures), as evidenced by her silly giggling and cooing over Lydia's marriage to Wickham despite the copious evidence by this point that Wickham is an untrustworthy penniless scoundrel.

** Some fans are convinced that Mary secretly has feelings for Mr Collins, and that she was hoping he would propose to her as the next sister in prominence after Lizzy turns him down. There is almost no textual evidence for her love, just Mrs Bennet's speculation and the narrator's note that Mary finds him more agreeable than the rest of the Bennets.
--->''"Mrs Bennet wished to understand by it that [Mr Collins] thought of paying his addresses to one of her younger girls, and Mary might have been prevailed on to accept him. 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."''
** Jane is commonly portrayed as a blonde, presumably due to the influence of the HairOfGoldHeartOfGold trope. Her hair colour is never mentioned in the text, and she's not blonde in the 1940s film.
** Since we learn very little about her other than she's sickly, some fans like to flesh out Anne de Bourgh. Popular interpretations are that she fakes (or least plays up) her illnesses as a way of coping with and avoiding her overbearing mother, and that neither she nor Darcy had any particular interest or desire to marry the other and that the whole "betrothal" was merely Lady Catherine seeing things that weren't there. Her aunt's loathing of Elizabeth post-marriage is also contrasted by making Anne trying to befriend her (albeit in a somewhat timid and secretive fashion).
* GeniusBonus: History buffs will note that Britain was at war with Emperor Napolean during the time the book is set in, so almost any half-decent young officer in Britain was fighting overseas, leaving only the dregs behind. The fact that Mr Wickham is in Britain flirting with teenage girls like the Bennet sisters tells you a lot you need about his character right off the bat.

** In the 2005 version, the plain, bookish Mary is played by ''Talulah Riley''... one of St Trinian's hottest young women.

** [[StepfordSmiler Mrs. Bennet]] is an [[AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents embarrassing, loudmouth ditz]] who almost ruins her daughters' chances at marriage, but she clearly just wants to see her daughters happily married. Especially since she [[AwfulWeddedLife wound up married to]] a DeadpanSnarker who verbally abuses and humiliates her in front of their children at any given opportunity. Even [[DaddysGirl Elizabeth]] eventually realizes what an awful husband her father was. There's also the very real fact that she fears ending up on the streets or dependent on Mr Collins's charity if Mr Bennet dies before she does - and the former becomes more likely after Elizabeth rejects Collins's proposal.
** Mary is annoying, insufferable, preachy, and smug, but she's also socially awkward and plain in a world where her only option is to find herself a husband -- something she is really not cut out to do. Regency England simply had ''no place'' for someone like her, and a lot of modern readers feel that if she'd lived in a society that provided her with more options, she might have turned out nicer. Not to mention, being the sole plain girl among the beautiful Bennet sisters can't have been easy, especially since she doesn't even have some brilliant talent or intellect to fall back on, no matter how much she tries to pretend she does. The 2005 film also adds an extremely sympathetic moment where Mary humiliates herself at a ball with her poor piano-playing... and ''bursts into tears'' as Mr. Bennet tries in vain to comfort her. It's even said in the ending that once Jane, Elizabeth and Lydia are married - she's no longer thought of as the plain one, since she was constantly being compared to them before.

* MemeticMolester: Mr Collins is often imagined as some kind of sexual predator, when in reality he's just got terrible social skills.

%% ** [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Lady. Catherine. de Bourgh.]]

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Many high schoolers are forced to read it and end up disdaining it as the most generic and stereotypical romantic comedy of them all...except it's the UrExample or at least the TropeCodifier.

** Kitty, as she is often treated awfully by both her parents, and although she is no saint, she is FAR more likeable than Lydia. In the end it's said she TookALevelInKindness once she was away from Lydia's influence, suggesting she was just easily led astray.

** Part of the reason Mary has such a MisaimedFandom is because of the range of things other characters get down on her for - everything from the truly obnoxious, like her moralizing lectures, to hogging the piano to...[[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking not being interested in balls]]. And this is used as grounds to say she's ''as bad as Lydia and Kitty''. One has to consider, though, that balls were the primary way for young single people in the English countryside to meet and mingle (those in the city had other opportunities), and for girls like the Bennets who would be penniless upon their father's death if they didn't marry well, getting to know men at balls was crucial both for their own welfare and that of their family. So it ''was'' rather presumptuous of Mary not to at least ''make an effort'' to dance and socialize. (This is diminished in the 2005 film, where she genuinely makes an effort to practice music and sing at Bingley's ball and ends up humiliating herself.) Modern introverted readers who've been mocked for not being outgoing tend to see themselves in Mary, and forget how different their situations are.

** Georgiana Darcy, once you learn her backstory. Her parents died, leaving her to be raised by her beloved older brother and cousin, and then, a former trusted family friend convinced her he was in love with her, and nearly got her to elope with him, all so he could get his hands on her dowry. She's also painfully shy. Luckily, Darcy rescued her, and she's presently very well-adjusted and happy, especially when Elizabeth becomes her sister-in-law.
** Charlotte when you think about it. She's made it to 27, which is close to being an OldMaid in her society, and is aware that she has very little to offer a potential husband in terms of money or looks. So she cynically takes Mr Collins's proposal just to have a roof over her head, even if she can't stand him. Most modern adaptations take pity on her - such as ''Film/BrideAndPrejudice'' and the 2005 film - and hint that she does grow a little fond of her new husband.
----

** There are also some who wonder if Mrs Bennett really deserves as much scorn as Lizzy throws on her. While she's incredibly embarrassing, it should be noted that she's trying to make sure her daughters have a roof over their heads when Mr Bennett dies. It becomes even clearer in the 1980 miniseries, where Mrs. Bennet is portrayed in a more sympathetic light, where she's a bit of a ditz with a MotorMouth, albeit less so than in the novel, while it's made very clear that she wants what's best for her daughters, making Lizzie seem UnintentionallyUnsympathetic at times.

** In the 2005 version, the plain, bookish Mary is played by ''Talulah Riley''... one of St Trinian's hottest [[FilleFatale Fille Fatales]].
** Charlotte averts this in the 2005 version (in which she is played by Claudie Blakley); while she wouldn't crack any mirrors, and her actress is [[https://goo.gl/images/sTG4eR fairly good-looking,]] her make-up and hair are rather low-key and she is not prettied up in the least.
** Charlotte Lucas (Lucy Scott) in the 1995 miniseries, however, is decidedly more attractive than her book counterpart.

** The 2005 adaptation in general softens the edge on most of the cast, giving Mr. and Mrs. Bennet a few AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther moments, lessening Mr. Collins' sliminess, and presenting Mr. Darcy as shy, rather than snobby.
** Mr. Darcy's (and to a lesser extent Mary's) behaviour, general personality traits, and the way he is perceived in-story mirrors the struggles people with neurological disabilities such as autism spectrum, ADHD, or social anxiety disorder face. Some people have argued that ''Pride and Prejudice'' could be interpreted as a story about how ableism allows socially adept but abusive people like Wickham to be accepted while awkward but genuine individuals like Darcy are seen as pariahs. And sadly, placing social graces above the genuine conduct of one's character is TruthInTelevision, even to this day.

** Mrs Bennet is a bit of an odd example of this trope, in that she tends to benefit from it more from a contemporary perspective. As noted above, modern feminist readings of the novel tend to prioritise the fact that Mrs Bennet has an undeniable point that, should her daughters not marry, the entire family faces destitution, and that the novel's tendency to treat her as a fool can be somewhat unjust in this respect. However, some of these readings can go a bit too far with regards to how wise and virtuous Mrs Bennet is, and consequently forget that this is more a case of JerkassHasAPoint than Mrs Bennet being a legitimately good and decent person unfairly disdained by the novel and her family members. While she is correct on this one issue, Mrs Bennet is nevertheless still frivolous, self-centred, hypocritical, inept as a parent, greedy, uncouth, tactless and legitimately foolish in other key respects. And even her concern for the marital state of her daughters can be legitimately read as more mercenary and frivolous than more favorable readings can be willing to admit -- she focuses heavily on how her daughters being single affects her personally, and seems more concerned about her daughters simply marrying in and of itself rather than marrying ''well'' (that is, marrying someone who will treat them decently in addition to securing their financial futures), as evidenced by her silly giggling and cooing over Lydia's marriage to Wickham despite the copious evidence by this point that Wickham is an untrustworthy penniless scoundrel.

** Mrs Bennet is a bit of an odd example of this trope, in that she tends to benefit from it more from a contemporary perspective. As noted above, modern feminist readings of the novel tend to prioritise the fact that Mrs Bennet has an undeniable point that, should her daughters not marry, the entire family faces destitution, and that the novel's tendency to treat her as a fool can be somewhat unjust in this respect. However, some of these readings can go a bit too far with regards to how wise and virtuous Mrs Bennet is, and consequently forget that this is more a case of JerkassHasAPoint than Mrs Bennet being a legitimately good and decent person unfairly disdained by the novel and her family members. While she is correct on this one issue, Mrs Bennet is nevertheless still frivolous, self-centred, hypocritical, inept as a parent, greedy, uncouth, tactless and legitimately foolish in other key respects.

** Darcy, to a lesser extent. The fandom adores him, of course, but his social awkwardness and initial pompousness (particularly his disaster of a first marriage proposal) is the source of many jokes.
%% ** [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Lady. Catherine. de Bourgh.]]
* MemeticLoser:

** The novel's opening lines, "It is a truth universally acknowledged..." The quote is used in various context with countless modifications. The irony of "universal truths" and how valid or accurate they are may be present, but often people use it for things they really do considered universal truths.

* MemeticBadass: Elizabeth Bennet of the BadassPacifist kind. There's a reason the scenes where she turns down Darcy's first proposal and verbally destroys Lady Catherine tend to get remixed with epic music playing in the background.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjOTBaqNyCM “Rest in fucking pieces, Mr. Darcy.”]]

** The novel's opening lines, "It is a truth universally acknowledged..."
** [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Lady. Catherine. de Bourgh.]]
** Kate Beaton's "[[http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=120 Ooh, Mr. Darcy!]]" from ''Webcomic/HarkAVagrant''
** Mr. Darcy admiring Lizzy's "fine eyes" became this in the fandom when talking of the 1995 miniseries where [[MyEyesAreUpHere Lizzy is played by the chesty Jennifer Ehle]].

* MemeticLoser: