This part of speech shows several main points for Mr. Collins’ reasons to marry Miss. Bennet. Firstly, as he is a clergyman, he says that it should be him to set an example to the people who go to the parish, that marriage is essential. In addition to this he says that he is certain that Elizabeth would add “very greatly to his happiness.” However, in Mr. Collins’ eyes the main reason for marrying Elizabeth is that he was recommended by Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who is a compatriot to Mr. Collins, moreover, the lady who gives her opinion about everything, which Mr. Bennet wholeheartedly believes. She advises, Mr. Collins to find a “gentlewoman” for her sake and for Mr. Collins. She states a few other minor reasons, which Mr. Collins gave consideration to, also Miss. De Bourgh tells Mr. Collins, to find her such a woman and bring her to Hunsford where she will attend to her.
In the early part of the long speech by Mr. Collins she can’t believe that Mr. Collins is serious, she has to prevent herself from laughing. It is only later in the chapter, when she realises that Mr. Collins is serious about his proposal that she tries to interrupt him in his talk.
“On that head, therefore, I shall be uniformly silent; and you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married.”
After that sentence, Miss. Bennet became aware that she had to interrupt Mr. Collins right away.
“You are too hasty, Sir,'' she cried. ``You forget that I have made no answer. Let me do it without farther loss of time. Accept my thanks for the compliment you are paying me, I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than decline them.”
Elizabeth declines the offer of marriage with great ease, however Mr. Collins will not take the hint that Elizabeth does not want to marry him. He persists with his proposal, thinking that Elizabeth is just “playing hard to get.”
“I am not now to learn,'' replied , with a formal wave of the hand, ``that it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first applies for their favour; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second or even a third time. I am therefore by no means discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long.”
This short piece shows, that Mr. Collins is a bit dimwitted, he says that it is not unusual for women to decline an offer of marriage the first, second or even a third time. So once again he declares that he wants to marry Elizabeth, and he will lead her to the alter.
“Upon my word, Sir, cried , ``your hope is rather an extraordinary one after my declaration. I do assure you that I am not one of those young ladies (if such young ladies there are) who are so daring as to risk their happiness on the chance of being asked a second time. I am perfectly serious in my refusal.”
If it wasn’t already clear enough to Mr. Collins that Miss. Bennet was not interested, this short passage certainly showed her opinion. She is “perfectly serious in her refusal.”
Yet even after this he talks about Lady Catherine de Bourgh approving of Miss. Bennet, and that she should accept his marriage offer. Next Mr. Collins says that the next time he talks to Elizabeth about this matter; he hopes to receive a more “favourable” answer.
“Really, , cried with some warmth, ``you puzzle me exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appear to you in the form of encouragement, I know not how to express my refusal in such a way as may convince you of its being one”
At this point, Elizabeth does not know how to make her refusal more obvious to Mr. Collins.
“It does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy your acceptance, or that the establishment I can offer would be any other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my connections with the family of De Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, are circumstances highly in its favor; and you should take it into farther consideration that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you. ”
In this paragraph, Mr. Collins reiterates what he can offer to Elizabeth – which will hopefully change her mind. He cannot believe that he is not good enough for Elizabeth. However any small hope he did have for Elizabeth’s acceptance were dashed, when he said that nobody else would offer Elizabeth their hand in marriage. This incensed Elizabeth even more than before. After this Mr. Collins said that he would speak to Mr. and Mrs. Bennet to persuade Elizabeth into marrying him.
The humour in the situation is shown, in the text a few times. As I said earlier when Mr. Collins first started talking to Elizabeth for her hand in marriage, she was laughing, thinking nothing of what he was saying. In addition to this, she was finding it difficult to keep a straight face throughout the conversation.
By Raj Bansal
