However when Elizabeth replies, Austen’s shows the readers her rudeness when she refuses to stay alone in the room with Mr. Collins, she says “Dear madam, do not go. I beg you will not go. Mr. Collins must excuse me. He can have nothing to say to me that anybody need not hear. I am going away myself.” Although she addresses her mum in a polite manner, she addresses Mr. Collin in a offensive manner by saying whatever he is about to say is not very important. Austen has also wrote her reply using short sentence structure to shock the readers about her impoliteness toward Mr. Collin and also to develop her basic point that she wasn’t so happy about this situation, she says that he cant have anything to say to her as he’s from higher class when actually she really meant that she didn’t want to stay with him.
Mr Collins also believes that he has high status in the society when he says to Elizabeth “your modesty” trying to make Elizabeth think that he is a great gentleman who respects her modesty in addition adds to her perfection. Mr. Collins believes that by giving her good complements will make his proposal easier, he is so positive about this situation that he verbally declares this assumption “you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married”. Austen has presented the readers with satire as he was so positive that Elizabeth would be also be like other women in society who only marry for wealth and their own comfort. Austen uses ironic narrative voice to tell the readers Elizabeth’s views on Mr. Collins approach for her hand in marriage until she interrupts him.
Furthermore, Mr. Collins character is being presented as humorous and very idiotic. He adds humour to his dialogue when in fact he is actually trying to be serious. Jane Austen mocks his characteristics as she has made him pompous and arrogant clergyman in a romantic situation. Mr Collins also feels as though he is superior towards Elizabeth. He is also presented very sophisticated and logical as he uses connectives to structure his speech “firstly…secondly” This is also shown in his language, which is also structured. He talks in the first person and uses rich vocabulary words as he says "condescended", "vivacity" and "uniformly". This again shows that as a clergyman that he is very familiar with giving speeches and sermons. It is almost like a he planned what he wanted to say to Elizabeth as it has an introduction, a main focal part and a conclusion.
When he informs Elizabeth his reasons for marrying her, he makes it perfectly clear that he is a very narrow minded and superficial, in addition when he moved from one girl to the next so hastily in chapter 15. As he presents his reasons, he says that he is doing them a favour, as he states “… on the particular advice and recommendation…” of Lady Catherine De Bourgh and also because he could not “satisfy himself without resolving to choose a wife from among his (Mr. Bennet’s) daughters”. This directly informs the readers that Mr. Collin’s reason for marriage wasn’t for love tiny bit rather he thought he was doing them a huge favour. Also he was only marrying Elizabeth because he was told to do so by Lady Catherine De Bourgh as she told him to find “A gentlewoman for my sake; an active, useful sort of person, not bought up high” and for Mr Collins, he believed that Elizabeth had all the right qualities to be his wife. Austen using a telling method reveals Mr Collins’ negative traits. Mr. Collin is exactly a man who Elizabeth would refuse to marry. Austen has used Elizabeth as a mouth piece of this novel to also reveal her opinions and views on marriages that she disliked such as marrying for wealth or gaining a high status in society.
As Mr Collins proposes to Elizabeth, she eventually feels the need to interrupt him as she says “You are too hasty sir!” she immediately says this to inform Mr. Collins there is no chance of accepting his proposal now, or even have any intention of doing so. Austen uses exclamation mark to emphasize Elizabeth’s point and to express her strong feelings for that proposal Mr. Collin just presented with cold heart. Although, Mr. Collins has been refused he still isn’t concerned with the reply, he assumes that she will accept him sooner or later as he says to her “that is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept” at this point he is trying to say Elizabeth is maybe shy to say yes, Austen shows the readers that Mr. Collin thought he was too good to be refused by a lady, she uses this kind of language for his response to mock his idea that all women’s think and react alike also showing his stubbornness and confidence, created by his pride. As soon as Elizabeth loses patience she states “your hope is rather an extraordinary one after my declaration” and “I am perfectly serious in my refusal. – You could not make me happy”. The use of italic in this sentence suggest to the readers although he could make other ladies happy who believe that marriage aren’t exactly for love, he could defiantly not make Elizabeth happy as she uses personal pronoun to state her view. This reply brings Mr Collins’s feelings down, however he still has hope in him as he replies by complementing her, saying “I cannot imagine that her ladyship would at all disapprove of you”, but her reply made it final she did not want to marry him.
During his proposal before he also makes a lot of annoying repetitions, such as saying how he will inherit their house when her father passes away, but whenever he said that he says “which may not be for several years”, this kind of repetition was irrelevant and irritating. Austen uses repetition to emphasize his points of marrying Elizabeth, for him it sounded perfect for proposal whereas for Elizabeth she thought he was quite pompous for repeating about his wealth.
Austen has used quite a lot of sarcasm in Elizabeth’s and Mr. Collins response. As Mr. Collins tells Elizabeth she is “uniformly charming!” with the use of exclamation mark at the end to emphasize on his sarcasm. His pride has been degraded and his highly shocked by this. This chapter in Pride and Prejudice perfect example of satirical prose as Austen uses ironic speeches and dialogues to achieve this effect. The conversation that takes place between Mr. Collins and Elizabeth perfectly explains that Elizabeth is a woman who will not marry a man she doesn’t love regardless of their wealth or high status. Austen in this chapter also makes it clear for the readers that Mr. Collins is a foolish man with huge amount of pride in him when he carries out his proposal unemotionally.
