Then the others would also be safe Marriage - Social Status and Money Austen begins the novel by saying It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife Austen is actually mocking the idea that wealthy men are always looking for wives In reality poor families like the Bennets are looking for a rich husband for their daughters When Mr Bingley a rich man came to the neighborhood Mrs Bennet got very excited She imagined Jane becoming the mistress of Netherfield and Elizabeth marrying Mr Darcy She had a Narrow Mind Mrs Bennet was not very wise She did not care about love or happiness She only cared about marriage She often pushed her daughters too much She often acted foolishly and her behavior made it hard for her daughters to find good matches But her heart was in the right place She just wanted a safe future for them Mrs Bennet was worried because she feared poverty wanted respect and had no other way to help her daughters Her worry may seem silly but it shows how hard life was for women without marriage in that time