the marriage game
Charlotte states that Jane is at a disadvantage because she does not express her affection for Mr. Bingley freely. She states that Jane should fall in love with Mr. Bingley as she chooses after she secures him by displaying more affection than she really feels.
Elizabeth counters that this tactic of calculation is useful for people who desire being “well married”, and nothing more. She believes that love should progress naturally as one understands the other’s character.
This tension highlights the struggles of existing within a marriage economy and balancing one’s feelings with playing the game.
fleeting affections
Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth have a conversation about Mr. Bingley leaving to London. Mrs. Gardiner says it so often happens that a man falls in love with a pretty woman quickly, then forgets about her when chance leads him elsewhere. Elizabeth says that Mr. Bingley was violently in love, and the evidence for this is his incivility toward other people, as his only focus is Jane. This reminds me of the difference between surface-level attachment and true connections that many people have to learn to differentiate as they mature.
respect and pride
Mr. Bennet cannot respect Mrs. Bennet because he chose his partner wrong; he does not wish the same for Elizabeth and cautions her to not root her decision in solely practical reasons.