Every story has a purpose. Those who negate fiction as “just fluff” or “stories that are not true” are missing the point. Fiction has the power to teach us a great deal about the world we live in and those who occupy it. If I didn’t believe this with all my heart, I would cease to write novels.
As I’ve now combed through BritBox’s The Other Bennet Sister not once, but twice, there are some wonderful lessons that are tied to the work.
But first, let me set up the story for you if you have not seen it. For those familiar with Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, you are well acquainted with Miss Elizabeth Bennet and the story of wealth, power, connections, pride, and prejudice in this story that ends with a very beneficial relationship between our heroine, Elizabeth, the very wealthy Mr. Darcy. Long my favorite book besides Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, Austen’s ability to capture society of the day and the inequalities of men and women in those times has stood the test of time and continues to be appealing.
By the end of Pride and Prejudice we learn the fates of the five sisters: Jane has married Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth marries Mr. Darcy, Lydia causes shame to her family by running off with the bad guy, Mr. Wickam and ends up marrying him, and Kitty and Mary are left behind, unmarried, though we do know Kitty matures by spending time with both Jane and Elizabeth.
But what of Mary?
In the BritBox series (which is based on the novel by Janice Hadlow), we learn a great deal about Mary, and through her, we learn a lot about life. May I share with you some thoughts on it?
Lesson 1: We are not defined by the people around us, even by those considered our family.
Mary must learn that she is her own person, but that can only happen when she moves away from her family and resides with her uncle and aunt in London. It is in London that Mary flourishes. Her self-worth and self-esteem have been diminished by an overbearing and often cruel mother, who believes she knows what’s best for her daughter, at the expense of Mary’s feelings and own fortitude. Mary begins to slowly realize that her mother’s opinions of her matter less and less as she comes into her own, confirmed by the fact that she finds not only one suitor, but two, and many new friends.
Lesson 2: Beauty is most assuredly in the eye of the beholder.
In Pride and Prejudice and in The Other Bennet Sister, Mary is depicted as being very plain, and the least attractive of the five sisters. She is made well aware of this interpretation by her own mother, who comments on her appearance and way of being constantly. But things are not always as they seem. Upon arriving in London, Mary is seen differently by her new friends. They see her as she is— intelligent, quick-witted, kind, and bold in her style. She quickly catches the eye of two suitors who find her engaging and appealing, and who are completely and utterly enamored by her. Once again, we learn that beauty is more than just the way someone looks—it’s about their whole aura and way of being.
Lesson 3: We are ultimately responsible for our own happiness.
For Mary, it takes all ten episodes for her to fully understand the truth that she and Mr. Collins discuss in the library in a previous episode (you may remember Mr. Collins is the distant cousin who inherits Longbourn, the Bennet home, after the passing of Mr. Bennet, because inheritance was passed on to men, never women. Mary does not find Mr. Collins despicable as the others do, but rather misunderstood). In the library, Mary and Mr. Collins discuss the works of Aristotle, whereby Aristotle notes that we are all responsible for our own happiness, which depends upon ourselves and our actions. Episode 10 features a showdown between Mary and her mother where we finally see Mary stand up to her and mean it. Mary does, indeed, take the bull by the horns and continues charting a course for her life. It’s a beautiful thing to see.
I could go into more takeaways from this series, but I’ll leave the rest to your good intelligence. Do yourself a favor and watch it for yourself. The acting is brilliant, the sets are gorgeous, the cinematography is stunning (especially in the Lakes), and the lessons stand the test of time.
It’s totally worth your time, and each episode is roughly 30 minutes.
Can’t recommend it enough.
Be well and enjoy!
Stephanie
About the author:
STEPHANIE VERNI is the author of THE ONES CLOSEST TO YOU, THE LETTERS IN THE BOOKS; FROM HUMBUG TO HUMBLE: THE TRANSFORMATION OF EBENEZER SCROOGE; BENEATH THE MIMOSA TREE; INN SIGNIFICANT; LITTLE MILESTONES; THE POSTCARD; and ANNA IN TUSCANY. She is also a co-author of the textbook, EVENT PLANNING & MANAGEMENT: COMMUNICATING THEORY & PRACTICE. Currently an adjunct professor at Stevenson University Online, she instructs communication courses for undergraduate and graduate students. She and her husband reside in Severna Park, Maryland, have two children, and a little boat that makes them immensely happy.
Connect with Stephanie on Instagram at stephanieverniwrites, (provided they allow it) and on TikTok at stephanieverniwrites.
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