Influence of parents in Pride and Prejudice?

Answer 1

Interestingly, it is almost as though the parents are nearly without influence. Jane has a certain amount of wisdom and good spirits, and Lizzy has intelligence and cheerfulness, but neither seem to have been able to get these from their parents. Lydia clearly might have been influenced by her mother to place finding a man above all else, even consideration as to how she does it.

The Bennets are not the only people on whose parenting skills we might comment, but they are the only parents we can observe with the results of their action on their children. We might, for instance, decry Lady Catherine's parenting, but Anne De Bourgh is a cypher - we have no idea what she is or what she could be worth.