Jane and Mr. Bingley

     When you hear the novel Pride and Prejudice mentioned, it immediately comes to mind as a love story. The plot revolves around the relationship between Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, but theirs is not the only successful relationship in the story worth mentioning. The relationship between Miss Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley is just as successful, and just as romantic, if not more so. Theirs is a stereotypical almost “love at first sight” relationship. Jane Austen highlights this relationship as one of the most important in the novel, and shows its success with the use of characterization, foreshadowing and selection of detail.
     From the very beginning, readers see Jane and Bingley as a match made in heaven, the perfect couple. Austen emphasizes this in her characterization of both Jane and Bingley. Jane’s beauty is mentioned an innumerable number of times, as is the handsomeness of Mr. Bingley. In addition, Jane is described by Mr. Bingley’s sisters as a “sweet girl” (16). Elizabeth Bennet also describes her sister to be “’a great deal too apt, you know, to like people in general… I never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life’” (14). These descriptions of Jane as a kind, sweet, considerate girl are parallel to descriptions of Mr. Bingley throughout the novel. Bingley is continually said to be gentleman-like  and Austen depicts him as having “a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners” (11). At their first meeting, early in the novel, Jane and Bingley both see these positive characteristics in each other, and see nothing negative to come from their relationship.  There is an immediate connection between the two.
     As the novel goes on, the relationship between Jane and Bingley progresses as well. As a result of a cold and her mother’s scheming, Jane stays at Bingley’s estate for a week, an event neither she nor Bingley dislikes. Their interactions continue, and it is evident to readers as well as the other characters in the novel that Jane and Bingley are to be together. While the two are at a ball hosted by Bingley, Austen uses foreshadowing to portray this concept to readers. Other than within the Bennet family, Sir William Lucas is the first to make such an assumption of Jane and Bingley’s marriage. He says to Elizabeth: “’I must hope to have this pleasure often repeated, especially when a certain desirable event, my dear Miss Eliza (glancing at her sister and Bingley), shall take place. What congratulations will then flow in!’” (81) Their union is mentioned again, when Elizabeth, while at the ball, is imagining Jane and Bingley’s lives together, and how happy they will be together.
     The relationship between Jane and Bingley takes a turn for the worst when Bingley leaves Netherfield to go to London, and it appears to be permanent. Jane learns of this new turn of events through correspondence with Caroline Bingley, who, in every letter, mentions how happy she would be with a marriage between her brother and Mr. Darcy’s sister. While Austen does include excerpts from these letters, which show Miss Bingley’s opinions on the matter, not once in these letters are the words of Mr. Bingley actually discussed. It is rightly decided by Elizabeth that Bingley does love Jane indeed, and the only reason for his absence is his sister’s objections to their relationship. Austen says: “To Caroline’s assertions of her brother’s being partial to Miss Darcy she paid no credit. That he was really fond of Jane, she doubted no more than she had ever done” (115).  Elizabeth closes the conversation on this subject by settling on the idea that “’they [Bingley’s sisters] may wish many things besides his happiness; they may wish his increase of wealth and consequence; they may wish him to marry a girl who has all the importance of money, great connections, and pride’” (118).  Austen’s choice to describe Bingley’s feelings only through his sister’s words leave room for belief in his unrelenting feelings for Jane, which are certainly shown in Elizabeth’s words.
     After a period of time where Jane and Bingley are separated and all hope is almost lost for the relationship, Elizabeth learns the real reason for the separation lies with Mr. Darcy and it is in fact not a loss of feelings on Bingley’s part. Between Elizabeth and Darcy, the problem is resolved, and the love story of Jane and Mr. Bingley has a happy ending. Bingley returns to Netherfield, and after only a short time back, proposes to Jane, and she is more than happy to accept. All possible conflict in the relationship has been resolved, and Jane Austen closes the book on their fairy-tale relationship with Jane and Mr. Bingley living happily ever after.