Mr. Collins’ speech is pompous, likes the conversation during his first dinner at Longbourn when Mr. Bennet found him ‘as absurd as he had hoped’ and longwinded as if Mr. Collins is addressing public audience. He sounds as if he has leant it by heart as he says Elizabeth can ‘hardly doubt the purport of (his) discourse’, but it is emotionless. He compliments Elizabeth, making her even more attractive as he talks about her ‘modesty’ and ‘natural delicacy’. He is trying very hard to please her; he states that as soon as he entered the house, he has already ‘singled (Elizabeth) out as the companion of (his) future life’. This is not true because he first chose Jane, but Mrs. Bennet told him that Mr. Bingly was very interested in Jane, so Mr Collins has to change from Jane to Elizabeth who is ‘equally next to Jane in birth and beauty. He also mentions that Elizabeth’s ‘wit and vivacity, especially when tempered with the silence’ will suit Lady Catherine de Bourgh who Mr. Collins tries to please which is ironic because Elizabeth has a really lively character and Lady Catherine dislikes her.
He proposes in a very orderly manner with all the observance, again, which is supposed ‘a regular part of businesses. In his proposal, he lists the ‘reasons’ why he needs to marry, but none of them are concerned about love or Elizabeth’s feelings. The first reason is that he thinks it is right for a clergyman to marry. Secondly, it is for his own happiness. Thirdly, ‘which perhaps (he) ought to have mentioned earlier’ because it is his main motivation. Lady Catherine de Bourgh said a clergyman likes him ‘must marry’, which implies how sycophantic and snobbish he is and Lady Catherine’s advice will become his motivation to do things, which shows his ‘obsequiousness’. Lastly, he mentions the inheritance of the estate after the death of Elizabeth’s father and says this has been the main ‘motive’ because he is aware that ‘one thousand pounds in the four percent will not be (Elizabeth’s) till after (her) mother’s decease. It seems now he is offering Elizabeth a huge kindness. Mr. Collins’ speech shows he is a really cold man and materialistic. He does not know what love is. The motivation is all about business and money, he is only concern about his future and job, but not Elizabeth’s feelings, or perhaps what she wants. He sees marriage as a business transaction to talk about ‘selecting a wife’, neither feelings nor diffidence are involved.
Before Mr. Collins has finished his proposal, Elizabeth interrupts and cries that he is being too ‘hasty’, more emotion is shown here but the emotion is Elizabeth’s and it is nothing to do with love. Altogether, Elizabeth refuses him firmly three times and thanks him again and again, but he is too conceited to accept her refusal and puts it down to female modesty. This also emphasises his ‘self-importance’.
However, unlike Mr Collins, Mr Darcy who eventually becomes Elizabeth’s husband holds a very important role in the novel. His proposal is a big contrast to Mr Collin’s; it is a potential tragedy because if he had not proposed to Elizabeth again, both would have lost their chance of happiness. This proposal is significant because they have discussed the opinions that they have about each other. That leads Mr Darcy to write a letter to explain all the misunderstanding around them and their companions.
In the ball, Darcy comments on Elizabeth and says she is ‘not handsome enough to tempt’ him. As a result, Elizabeth thinks Darcy is ‘arrogant’ and ‘conceited’. Darcy is an extremely rich middle-class man, who has ten thousand a year’. He has ‘handsome features’ but is cold and filled with pride. After Elizabeth discovers Mr Darcy has intervened in the lives of her beloved Jane and Mr Bingly, this only increases her dislike of him.
When the door bell rings, Elizabeth assumes that it is Darcy’s cousin, Fitzwilliam, who she has a favourable impression of. However, when she sees Mr Darcy walk into the room, she shows ‘utter amazement’, Mr Darcy is very polite but emotional. As soon as he enters the room, he ‘began an enquiry after (Elizabeth’s) health, but ‘she answered him with cold civility’. Darcy’s actions are also very nervous, he ‘(sits) down for a few moments, and then getting up (walks) about the room’; then he says ‘how ardently (he) admires and loves (Elizabeth)’. Elizabeth does not expect this, her ‘astonishment (is) beyond expression’, she ‘coloured’, ‘doubted’ and is ‘silent’. Darcy’s speaks of her ‘inferiority’ and tells Elizabeth that he loves her ‘against’ his ‘will’, ‘reason’ and even against his ‘character’. Straight after Darcy proposed, Elizabeth feels ‘sorry for the pain he was to receive. She could not be sensible to the compliment of such a man’s affection even though she thinks she and finally she ‘lost all compassion in anger’, her sorrow does not last long, she feels that she is being insulted but definitely not complimented.
Elizabeth’s attitude is very rude as she says ‘if I could feel gratitude, I would now thank you. But I cannot – have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly’. After Darcy hears this about what she has said, his complexion becomes ‘pale with anger’, he is ‘struggling for the appearance of composure,’ which shows his pride and that he is trying to hide his anger and disappointment.
Moreover, Elizabeth also stresses Darcy has ruined ‘the happiness of a most beloved sister’, and she accuses Darcy of having reduced Wickham to ‘his present state of poverty’. But Darcy does not deny this but tells her later in the letter. However, unlike Mr Collins, he does not lie. He tries very hard to separate his friend, Mr Bingly and Jane because she never shows her feeling, so Darcy does not want Mr Bingly to waste time loving someone who does not love him. This is because Jane’s heart is ‘not likely to be easily touched’ and the other reason is about the Bennet’s social state and Mrs Bennet’s behaviour.
When Elizabeth accuses Darcy of not behaving ‘in a more gentlemen-like manner’, she is being abusive and insulting. She accuses him is being ‘arrogant’, ‘conceited’ and having ‘self disdain of the feeling of others’. Yet, after hearing all Elizabeth’s comment, Darcy is still very polite and gentlemanly; he also ends by showing concern for Elizabeth’s health. Although, he speaks calmly, his body language completely betrays him, ‘he walked with quick steps’, and this clearly shows his anger and disappointment.
This proposal is quite different from Collins’. Both Darcy and Elizabeth are deeply involved emotionally and love is involved. We can clearly see how Darcy loves her although we are not given the actual words of his proposal, both from his body language and nervous actions and from his language. He begins by telling her ‘how ardently (he) admires and loves’ her. And Elizabeth ‘cries for half and hour’ after Darcy has left. She cannot control her emotion. Unlike Mr Collins, who thinks Elizabeth rejects him is the way of being modest and thinks ‘it is usual’; Darcy accepts her refusal immediately.
However, there are similarities between the two proposals. Certainly, Elizabeth refuses both of them, but neither of them is expecting the refusals from Elizabeth. Both men make references to her inferiority both socially and materially. Mr Collins mentions what he will ‘inherit’ from Elizabeth’s father. Yet, Darcy’s and Collins’ reactions are different. Mr Collins thinks it is usual ‘with young ladies to reject’ proposals because of social convention. He is quite calm about the refusal because there is no emotion involved. On the other hand, Darcy does not expect Elizabeth’s refusal, his face shows ‘no less resentment’ then ‘surprise’. He becomes ‘pale with anger’, and ‘the disturbance of his mind was visible in every feature’. This shows there is strong motional involvement. Darcy also requires an explanation while Collins thinks he knows why he is being rejected.
At the time when the novel was written, the attitude towards marriage was very different from nowadays. In the past, people had always thought about the social status and particularly, family backgrounds. In the novel, the marriage of Collins and Charlotte Lucas reflects this situation. There is no any love involved. Collins gets married because Lady Catherine de Bourgh wants him to and Charlotte is because she is already ‘over-age’ to get married, if she misses the chance, she probably will not have another. However, in our society, social background is not as important as before, everybody can marry someone who they are in love with, like Darcy and Elizabeth. Elizabeth does not want to marry someone purely because they are rich, but also someone who she loves. Although Darcy is such a ‘good catch’, she still refuses his proposal until finally, they resolve all the problems and misunderstandings. Darcy put down his pride and Elizabeth eliminates her prejudice. Their marriage is based on love, which is similar to modern society. Nowadays, class distinctions are not as important and people can marry for love rather than money; proposals are not as formal; women have many more options, they can have their own career, have sex and have children before marriage, or live with their partners; homosexuality will not seen as inappropriate and immoral. People are also allowed to choose whether they want children. Therefore, we have much more freedom than before.
