Opinion Today: There’s something about Mary Bennet

Could the overlooked middle sister of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" be the Bennet sister for our moment?

View in browser|nytimes.com December 2, 2024 By Louise Loftus Senior Staff Editor I want to talk about one of my oldest vices: Georgian England. A very specific slice of Georgian England, to be clear. When the news, work or life is hard, I return to a Jane Austen novel or dramatization and relax almost immediately. I don't know if it's the thought of living in a time before smartphones, microplastics and nuclear weapons, but the effect is almost soporific. In particular, I reread and rewatch the 1995 BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice" a lot. Naturally, each time I identify with the force that is Lizzy Bennet, who always knows what she wants to say — invariably something very witty — and isn't afraid to say it. But Paula Byrne, an Austen biographer, has flipped my read of the novel upside down in a new guest essay. There has been a spate of reimaginings of the plain, bookish and earnest Mary Bennet — the latest of which is a planned adaptation by the BBC — and Byrne argues that Mary deserves this renewed attention. "Mary is vain, but flails in her efforts at self improvement," Byrne writes. "She is judgmental of those around her whom we suspect she secretly envies. She desperately wants to say the smart thing, but can't think of it in time. She repeats opinions she's read as her own." "She is all of us," Byrne writes, and merits a sympathetic reading — one that the modern reader can give her. The next time I revisit "P&P," it will be with renewed attention to the overlooked middle sister. Read the essay: Photo Illustration by The New York Times. Photo: Focus Films, Via Everett Collection Guest Essay Mary Is the Bennet Sister We Need Jane Austen, one of the most beloved novelists in the English language, must have had some sympathy for a girl who liked a good book. By Paula Byrne Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Guest Essay I'm One of the Last Doctors in This Hospital in Gaza. I'm Begging the World for Help. Most of the medical staff at Kamal Adwan Hospital is gone. One of the last doctors working there shares his story. By Hussam Abu Safyia More From Opinion Michelle Cottle How Do You Like That Filibuster Now? The Senate can take steps to remain an independent power center in Trump's Washington. By Michelle Cottle Guest Essay I've Been on an Informal Listening Tour of Rural Michigan. What I Heard Surprised Me. This year Donald Trump took social conservatives for granted. By Matthew Walther Guest Essay Misogyny and Antisemitism Are a Toxic Brew Stereotyping Jewish women is dangerously common. By Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Rachel Schreiber Guest Essay Not Everyone Is Benefiting From Drops in Overdose Deaths Drug overdose deaths are finally declining. But it's going to take work to keep this trend going. By Maia Szalavitz Kash Patel's Threat to the Rule of Law In the new administration, loyalty will come before experience or moral judgment. By David French Guest Essay Republicans Would Regret Letting Elon Musk Ax Weather Forecasting Everyone benefits from government weather forecasting. Republicans have the chance to make it better. By Ryan Maue Guest Essay Running Away From Trump's America Is Complicated. I Should Know. For Americans declaring they want to leave a Trump-led America, the best approach is to understand what you are running to, not from. By Cara Hoffman Binyamin Appelbaum Note to Democrats: It's Time to Take Up Your Hammers There is a straight line from homeless schoolchildren to Donald Trump's election victory. By Binyamin Appelbaum Guest Essay The Surprising Allure of Ignorance We want to know, but we also want not to know, sometimes fiercely so. By Mark Lilla David French 'I Was a Stranger and You Invited Me In' I won't forget the first time I volunteered at Room in the Inn. By David French Guest Essay Why I'm Not Giving Up on American Democracy The free and decent country that saved my family from Soviet Hungary is now under threat. By Kati Marton Guest Essay Reckoning With the Connection Between Brain Injuries and Criminal Behavior In the fight to reduce recidivism, we may be ignoring one major element. By Annie Liontas Guest Essay A Job and Community Transform Refugees' Lives The organization doesn't just teach culinary skills — it provides additional support, such as résumé building and English classes. By Jessica Grose Guest Essay New Orleans' Striking Advantage in the Age of Climate Change Unlike the other major cities that appear on lists of unsafe places, New Orleans has a striking competitive advantage. By Nathaniel Rich Guest Essay How Our Messed-Up Dating Culture Leads to Loneliness, Anger and Donald Trump A generation of resentful young men has arisen from the cultural norm dictating that men must be the breadwinners. By Sarah Bernstein Michelle Gustafson for The New York Times letters When A.I. and Doctors Make the Diagnosis Readers discuss artificial intelligence in medicine. Also: Toxins in water; breasts on billboards; the $6.2 million banana; a deportation question. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. To stop receiving Opinion Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018