Vijay Bhagvath

IOP

Good afternoon. My individual oral presentation is based on the book Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen in the year of 1813. Today, I will examine the character of William Collins, by analyzing his marriage proposal to Elizabeth Bennet in Chapter 19. I believe that this passage contains great importance in the understanding of Jane Austen’s character, Mr. Collins.

Mr. Collins is a clergyman and an extremely comical character because of his mix of adulation and pride. He is fond of making long and silly speeches and stating formalities which have absolutely no meaning in themselves. For Mr. Collins, speech is not a means to communicate truth but a means to say what he thinks the people around him want to hear or what will make the people around him think well of him. He is first in line to inherit Mr. Bennet’s estate, and wishes to marry one of the Bennet sisters to lessen the burden of entailment.

I have begun my key-passage analysis from the line “The idea of Mr. Collins, with all his solemn composure, being run away with by his feelings, made Elizabeth so near laughing that she could not use the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop him further, and he continued:”… From this excerpt, we can see that Jane Austen has used the term ‘solemn composure’ to exhibit Mr. Collins’ seriousness and sincere poise. We may also observe the attention that Mr. Collins has obtained from the society, due to his comical nature, as Elizabeth Bennet could ‘barely contain herself,’ despite his sincerity.

Mr. Collins announces his philosophy about marriage as he says "My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it is a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish. Secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly -- which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honor of calling patroness.” From this quote, we may examine many factors affecting Mr. Collins’s character. Mr. Collins has ‘reasons for marriage,’ and by this phrase imposed by Jane Austen, we understand that Mr. Collins has no self objectives or aims, and just follows social conventions! It also displays his materialistic character, as he does not believe in true love, and instead believes in material possessions which improve his reputation in social standings. Also, from the line “I think it is a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself),” we learn that William Collins is proud of his attainment. Using the phrase ‘like myself,’ Jane Austen conveys Mr. Collins’ self-esteem and belief of belonging in the ‘higher social class.’ Also, we discover with the help of the line “that it will add very greatly to my happiness,” that Mr. Collins is pompous, as he is already content with life, and can be considered the epitome of style and fashion. When Mr. Collins describes his third reason for marriage, he says “thirdly—which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier,” which clearly explains to us that Mr. Collins is an oiler or a greaser, loves to flatter or be flattered, and that he regularly displays obsequiousness. Also, Mr. Collins says “that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honor of calling patroness.” With the help of the words ‘advice’ and ‘recommendation’ we can comprehend that Mr. Collins is exceptionally foolish, and that he is easily distracted by the advice of members of higher social statuses.

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Mr. Collins continues his proposal by speaking about the words of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, whom he highly respects and holds her as his patroness. She advises him to marry quickly and appropriately, and tells him to bring his wife to Hunsford, the town of Mr. Collins. After quoting Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Collins declares, “Allow me, by the way, to observe, my fair cousin, that I do not reckon the notice and kindness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh as among the least of the advantages in my power to offer. You will find her manners beyond anything I ...

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