Pride and Prejudice
Mary Bennet
The middle Bennet sister
The serious, studious middle sister who tries to win admiration through music and moral remarks. She is not always aware of the effect.
Mary Bennet is the middle Bennet sister, a plain, serious young woman with spectacles and a taste for lectures. She plays the piano and sings, and she delivers moral observations from books. She is often overlooked by her family, and she tries hard to be noticed.
Mary lacks the liveliness of her sisters and the talent she believes she has. She wants approval, and she tries to earn it with accomplishments and wise-sounding remarks, though they rarely win her what she wants.
“I shall gladly favor the company with another song!”
In the story
Contains spoilers.
Mary has a small but memorable part at the Netherfield ball. She sings badly, and then offers to favor the company with another song. Elizabeth is already embarrassed by her mother's boasts and Mr. Collins's introduction to Darcy, and Mary's performance adds to the evening.
She remains at Longbourn during the later events, a quiet figure in the family circle as Lydia's scandal and Jane's and Elizabeth's engagements unfold.
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