Mr Bingley

Outer characterisation

Mr Charles Bingley is a static character who does not change during the course of Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice. For example, he likes Jane from the beginning and continues to like and love her throughout the novel.

His outer characterisation reveals that he is 22 years old, is Darcy's friend, and has two sisters, Louisa and Caroline. He is rich because he inherited £100,000 upon his father’s death, and he is able to rent the grand estate Netherfield Park (p. 6). He is described as being attractive in every way: “Mr. Bingley was good-looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected manners” (p. 6).

Inner characterisation

Charles Bingley’s inner characterisation is initially conveyed in contrast to that of Mr Darcy: “Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared; Darcy was continually giving offence” (pp. 10-11). Unlike Darcy, Bingley is characterised by “easiness, openness, and ductility of his temper” (p. 10). You may say that just as Elizabeth and Jane, who are equally close, are each other's opposites, so are Bingley and Darcy.

Bingley is a sociable and well-intended person, who does not pay too much attention to class differences and enjoys the company of people from different social classes: “ ‘When I am...