One of my focuses as I reread P&P this time is the silent sisters, Kitty and Mary, who don't seem to have much of a part to play except as foils for the others. I think Mary wanted her father's attention, as her relative plainness made her a bit less important in her mother's eyes than her sisters were. If Mary had gotten better instruction, she might be better read and perhaps a better musician. I have to think the teachers who were available to come to Longbourn weren't the best, and as for reading material, Mary is confined to whatever is available in Mr. Bennet's library. I pity her, because her sisters are pursuing a social life and husbands, and she seems to take solace in her books and music. I've often thought that maybe Mary is preparing herself for a life as a governess or a teacher because she thinks she won't get a husband.