Darcy. All of these problems are worked out by the conclusion of the novel, but not before Lydia has run off with Mr. Wickham and eloped. This is considered a great disgrace and a shame for the Bennet's because it is found out that Mr. Wickham is not a very wholesome character and in fact has quite a few skeletons in his closet. But Lydia does not seem to care because she is so willful that she does as she pleases and does not reflect upon how it will make her family appear in the rest of polite society. Of course, Lydia's elopement is another distress for Mrs. Bennet. But now there is a kind of reversal, and Elizabeth, who never seemed to be favored by her mother now appears to be sensible and strong. But still Mrs. Bennet prefers Lydia above the others and is depressed at finding that Lydia after her sudden marriage cannot stay longer. Lydia, of course, is not bothered by her mother's depression, for she is very much in love with Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth, however, sees right away that "Wickham's affection for Lydia was…not equal to Lydia's for him" (Austen 290). All the same, Elizabeth's good sense is no consolation for Mrs. Bennet, who would still like to have her youngest daughter Lydia around more. Although Lydia is now married, which should make Mrs. Bennet happy, there is still a sadness surrounding the event, part of which is the suddenness of it all and the disgrace that has gone with it. When the newly married Wickhams tell that they must soon depart for Mr. Wickham must rejoin his regiment, "no one but Mrs. Bennet regretted that their stay would be so short" (Austen 290). Lydia is still viewed as being in disgrace by all the others. Only in Mrs. Bennet's eyes is she still adored.

The reason Mrs. Bennet has such a fondness for Lydia, of course, is that Lydia is the youngest and also because they are both alike...

Mrs. Bennet is not very reasonable or calm. She is passionate and emotional -- just like Lydia. But while Mrs. Bennet is passionate about getting her daughters married, Lydia is passionate about being married to Mr. Wickham. While their goals are both the same, Mrs. Bennet ultimately pays a price of loneliness and separation, perhaps because she does not realize that what she has desired so strongly must also take away from her the daughter she loves most and who is most like her.
As for the other daughters, Mary is plain and does not figure prominently in the novel, and Kitty is as silly and childish as Lydia. There is also Jane, whose manner is mild and whose character is sweet. Her love for Mr. Bingley finally comes to a happy conclusion and Mrs. Bennet has cause to celebrate for her. and, of course, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy finally come to terms with their love and respect for one another and so Mrs. Bennet gets three of her daughters married, which makes her happy.

In conclusion, Mrs. Bennet's relationship with her daughters is very simple: she wants to see them all married off well, and they in turn would like to be married off well. Of course, what she means by marrying well and what they mean by marrying well does not always match. Elizabeth for instance wants to marry a man she respects, while Lydia is childish and simply wants to run off and have a romance with someone she adores. In the end, however, Lydia, Elizabeth and even Jane get the men they love. Mrs. Bennet is, ultimately, able to approve of their marriages because the men they marry (except for Mr. Wickham) all have what is most important in her eyes: money. As for Lydia, Mrs. Bennet can harbor no resentment against her favorite daughter.

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. MN: Bethany House, 2007. Print.