“From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. - Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never

Mr. Bennet defies convention by telling Elizabeth that he agrees with her and does not want her to marry her distant cousin, despite the fact that he would provide her with security in the future. In Austen’s time, women were generally expected to seize any such chance that came their way – and if they were unwilling, usually they were forced into it. As half of an unhappy couple, Mr. Bennet wants to avoid this situation for his strong-willed daughter. Because he wants her to be happy, he supports her unwillingness to enter into such a union. This is significant because of how far from normal it was at the time. Mr. Bennet respects his daughter’s opinions (she is clearly his favorite because she is so different from her man-obsessed mother and sisters) and therefore he supports her decision to not marry by in fact refusing to allow her to do so. Because of the patriarchal system at the time, her father’s refusal closes the door to the possibility of a union even if Elizabeth were willing.