Buchanan 1

Sarah Buchanan
ETLA 304
Chamberlain
23 February 2015
Word Count = 905
Lord! How I Laughed!: The Style of Lydia Bennet
Laughter, dancing, and men in uniform are only a few of Lydia
Bennets favorite things. Throughout the novel Pride and Prejudice by
author Jane Austen, the flirtatious fifteen year-old, Lydia Bennet, has
little attention for anything other than the social and material aspects
of her life; proven as the narrator notes that [Lydia and her sister,
Kitty] could talk of nothing but the officers; and Mr. Bingleys large
fortune (Vol. I, Chap. VII).
Mrs. Bennet emphasizes to each of her five daughters, Lydia
being the youngest, that finding a well fortuned husband is imperative
to their future. This pushing from their mother only fuels the flame of
Lydias obsession with the officers in Meryton and her desire to feel the
attention her sisters closer to marriage have. Unfortunately, to the
dismay of the Bennet family, Lydias childish manner and desire to
outshine her older sisters only brings out her worst qualities. Lydia is
characterized as an immature, self-absorbed girl who wants attention
and Austen consistently shows the reader Lydias character through
her use of imagery, sentence structure and variety, rhythm/sound
patterns, and diction.

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Austen has stylized the sentence structure and variety of Lydias
speeches in a relatively simple way and has filled them with the
imagery that depicts the characteristics of the silly girl that Lydia is.
When she speaks, Lydia dominates the conversation, hardly allowing
anyone else the chance to speak and putting the attention on herself.
The sentences, though, are frequently short and contain no great
substance. One subject is never lingered on for a very long time,
either, because her train of thought continuously changes. Lydia is
perfectly content switching her subject matter between the latest
gossips of her friends and family to what bonnet she has recently
bought to her newest funny story. We see an example of this variety
and structure of sentences in a long speech Austen constructed for
Lydia in which she says, I am glad I bought my bonnet, if it is only for
the fun of having another bandbox! . . . let us hear what has happened
to you all since you went away. Have you seen any pleasant men?
Have you had any flirting? (Vol. II, Chap. XVI). This structure of speech
is typical of the character Lydia possesses; it expresses her selfcentered immaturity, and is captured well by Austen in her character.
When talking to her sisters Lydia stays on subjects that will bring
her enjoyment and easily manages to swing the subject toward herself.
For example she says [Aunt Philips] wants you so to get husbands, you
cant think. She says Lizzy had better have taken Mr. Collins . . . Lord!
how I should like to be married before any of you (Vol. II, Chap. XVI).

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She continues with how wonderful she thinks it would be to chaperon
all her unmarried sisters to balls. Lydia sees that to me married would
bring her the attention that she desires, but being the youngest she is
less likely to find a husband than her older sisters and thus uses these
other techniques to gain attention. Of course when she does marry
Lydia does not waste an opportunity to let people know, for instance
when she says Oh! Mamma, do the people here abouts know I am
married to-day? I was afraid they might not; and we overtook William
Goulding in his curricle, so I was determined he should know it (Vol. III,
Chap. IX).
This immature need of attention that Lydia possesses can also be
seen in Austens use of rhythm/sound patterns in her writing.
Throughout Lydias speeches exclamation points are used profusely
giving the reader a sense of lively animation in her voice. One can
easily picture Lydia speaking in a rapid tone and with great excitement
and as if everything she says is a wonderful delight to all that are
listening. When Elizabeth learns that Mr. Darcy had some involvement
in Lydias wedding, Lydia exclaims Oh, yes!he was to come there
with Wickham, you know. But gracious me! I quite forgot! I ought not to
have said a word about it. I promised them so faithfully! What will
Wickham say? It was to be such a secret! (Vol. III, Chap. IX). Five
exclamation points are used here. Though Lydia should be upset that
she has spilled such a secret her exclamation points display the

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pleasure and thrill she has gained from letting others see that she
knows what they do not.
Diction, too, is another important way Austen shows Lydias
character. Lydia regularly describes things in her life as fun. When
telling her sisters of a gathering hosted by her friend, Mrs. Forster,
Lydia says We dressed up Chamberlayne in womans clothes, on
purpose to pass for a ladyonly think what fun! (Vol. II, Chap. XVI).
This what fun is only one of many that Lydia describes throughout
the novel. Lydia mentions her laughter frequently and she also
exaggerates to emphasize her feelings. Continuing the speech at Mrs.
Forsters Lydia says Lord! how I laughed! And so did Mrs. Forster. I
thought I should have died (Vol. II, Chap. XVI). Such childishness is
shown in Lydia through Austens use of diction that someone of greater
maturity would not possess.
Upon reading Pride and Prejudice one can quickly surmise that
Lydia is far from grown up. Austen consistently shows the reader that
Lydia Bennet has a self-absorbed, immature nature and is in constant
need of attention. One would hope that Lydia would gain maturity in
time but as the narrator states Lydia . . . suffered no revolution (Vol.
III, Chap. XIX).

Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Signet Classic, 1980. Print.

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