Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins

"Oh! my dear," cried his wife, "I cannot bear to hear that mentioned. Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure, if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it" (52).

This passage emphasizes Mrs. Bennet's lack of knowledge when it comes to money. She's upset because Mr. Collins will be taking over the house and not to her daughters. But by law, the money must be passed on to a man not divided among their daughters to then be spread out throughout several families. The irony of this whole passage, and that Mrs. Bennet does not realize, is that if she was able to have a boy, then none of these problems would have arisen. Therefore, the estate and money being passed onto Mr. Collins is in a way her own fault.