I was talking about this with someone recently, and they pointed out that potentially, breaking the entail was just an insurance policy in case the son predeceased Mr. Bennet. Maybe he wasn't planning to sell off parts of the estate, but it was still a pretty terrible plan. Contrary to a lot of fan fiction and at least one movie, the Bennets don't seem to be in want of much. In fact, the text says that they only lived within their income because Mr. Bennet was too fond of his independence to go into debt.
So sure, saving a quarter of his annual income would have meant a blow to his lifestyle, but balanced against the benefits, it casts him in an even worse light. Even if he had a son, how did he expect his daughters to marry comfortably when they brought virtually nothing to the table? Did he just assume that all men would be like him and be taken in by a pretty face?
So sure, saving a quarter of his annual income would have meant a blow to his lifestyle, but balanced against the benefits, it casts him in an even worse light. Even if he had a son, how did he expect his daughters to marry comfortably when they brought virtually nothing to the table? Did he just assume that all men would be like him and be taken in by a pretty face?