Both Lydia and Wickham are responsible for their selfish relationship. Lydia’s behavior is extremely irresponsible, as she flirts with anyone and everyone without any boundaries set by her parents. This allows her to take advantage of her actions, making herself and her household ridiculous. By engaging in relationships with older individuals whom she hardly knows, Lydia mocks herself and brings shame upon her family.
Conversely, Wickham differs from Lydia as he does not truly love her. He only agreed to marry her due to a financial offer, showing no genuine intention to do so otherwise.
Lydia’s elopement with Wickham cannot be hidden. It is probable that Wickham will deceive Lydia because she foolishly wants to marry him to show off and seem more grown-up, which leads to their elopement. Their marriage is bound to have a similar outcome as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s relationship. Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Bennet, among others in the novel, believe that they are responsible for allowing such an event to happen.
Upon receiving an invitation to dine at Pemberley with the Samuel rawson gardiners, Elizabeth finds herself confronted with distressing news. Opening a letter, she learns that Lydia has eloped with Wickham to Gretna Green. Jane informs her that their father and Colonel Forster have embarked on a quest to find them. In shock, Elizabeth confides in Darcy about the situation, immediately considering the repercussions this scandalous act will have on her family’s standing. Aware that their reputation is already tarnished, this disgraceful event completely obliterates any remaining shred of respectability they possess. Elizabeth had been the only one to caution her father against allowing Lydia to go in the first place; now consumed by worry and stress, she fears how society will perceive both herself and her sisters. The possibility of no one desiring marriage with them weighs heavily on her mind as tears well up in her eyes—an illustration of Elizabeth’s profound distress amidst this humiliating circumstance.
She grasps the dreadful, self-centered action Lydia committed and starts criticizing her. ‘She has been dedicated to nothing but entertainment and vanity,’ ‘idle and frivolous,’ ‘only concerned with love, flirting, and officers.’ She attempts to convey that due to Lydia’s immaturity, she had absolutely no concept of what others would think of her and how her reputation has been completely tarnished, emphasizing how foolish she is.
Elizabeth also has doubts and admiration for Wickham’s abilities. She believes that Wickham possesses all the qualities and charm that can capture a woman’s heart. In other words, no one knows his true intentions and capabilities. Among the women in her family, only Elizabeth and Jane seem to understand and take this seriously. They understand the unfortunate consequences this situation can lead to. However, the mother and the other sisters do not seem to understand the seriousness of this matter at present.
Lydia informs her friend Harriet about the elopement, finding it amusing. Yet, Elizabeth is in a state of panic as she tries to decide on a course of action after learning that Lydia has fled with Wickham. It is clear from Lydia’s behavior that she lacks maturity and comprehension of societal conventions.
Elizabeth is livid as she recognizes the gravity of Lydia’s reckless letter, causing her disgust. Elizabeth believes it is her duty to restore order within her family and shield them from the consequences. I perceive Elizabeth as a strong-willed character who voices her opinions. She has the insight to anticipate the dire consequences that prolonged unmarried status will bring upon her family. Consequently, Elizabeth was the sole individual who cautioned her father against allowing Lydia to journey to Brighton. Regrettably, her advice went unheeded, indicating that the entire crisis cannot truly be blamed on Elizabeth.
Mr Bennet’s lack of involvement in his family’s affairs reveals his dull and sarcastic personality. He did not initially forbid or deter Lydia’s behavior, indicating his indifference. Despite Elizabeth warning him about Lydia’s flirtatious and foolish nature when she asked to go to Brighton, he still granted her permission. Taking a risk, he believed that Lydia would be less important and less likely to cause trouble there. However, now he must face the consequences as he learns about her elopement. Though desperate to find her, he knows that he cannot save his family from the scandal and damage caused by this event. In my opinion, Mr Bennet is responsible for this situation due to his selfishness and favoritism towards his older daughters which led him to neglect the rest of his children. As a father, it was his duty to intervene in Lydia’s foolish behavior but he failed to do so. Thus, I believe that Mr Bennet played a significant role in this occurrence.
Mr. Darcy also believes that this whole ‘event’ could have been prevented because he was aware of Wickham’s character. He knew what Wickham was like when he attempted to elope with his sister Georgiana, but Darcy did not intervene because he was prioritizing his family’s reputation. However, he eventually manages to locate Lydia and Wickham, paying off their debts and arranging their marriage. Darcy does this solely out of his love for Elizabeth, understanding that he cannot marry her if Lydia and Wickham remain unmarried, as it will tarnish the family’s reputation. Once he takes care of everything and Elizabeth discovers his actions, they finally marry. I believe it was a mistake for Darcy to not inform anyone about the attempted elopement with his sister to protect his honor, but I also believe that he somewhat makes up for it by paying off Wickham’s debts and facilitating the marriage. It was a kind gesture he made out of his love for Elizabeth.
In my opinion, the parents bear more responsibility in this situation since they could have prevented Lydia’s disgraceful behavior. It is not solely Mr. Bennet’s fault; he was influenced by both Mrs. Bennet and Lydia to allow her to go to Brighton. Therefore, Mrs. Bennet is also to blame as she encourages her youngest daughters’ behavior solely for the purpose of getting them married.
