When Mr Darcy proposes he list the reasons why he should not marry Elizabeth, showing no concern for her. The reason he gives is simply that she is poorer than him. He tells her “of the family obstacles which judgement had always opposed to inclination.” He not only insults her, he insults her family, who Elizabeth truly cares about.
How Elizabeth feels about Mr Collins and Mr Darcy at the time of the proposals play a big part in the way in which she reacts to them. When Mr Collins proposed she did not find him offensive, like she did Mr Darcy, she just did not want to marry him because she did not love him. She tells him that he is “too hasty” and that he “forgot that she has made no answer.” However, her response to Mr Darcy is a lot more violent. She holds a large grudge against him and shows this in the way she reacts. Initially she intends to be polite and thankful for his proposal, but he makes her too angry, she loses all consideration she has for his feelings. Austen shows this by telling the reader that Elizabeth “lost all compassion in anger.” Elizabeth does not think about what affect the things she says will have on Mr Darcy, so replies to the proposal by saying that “the mode of his declaration affected her in any other way, than as it spared her the concern which she might have felt in refusing him, had he behaved in a more gentleman-like way.” In the period in which Pride and Prejudice is written, this insult would have been very offensive to Mr Darcy because he had been brought up as a gentleman. If you were born in a higher class you would become a gentleman simply because of your status. Elizabeth acknowledges the fact that he was born a gentleman, but she tells him that he does not act in the way he should. Because of Mr Darcy’s great pride this would have affected him more than Elizabeth thought.
There are many contrasts between the proposals that Elizabeth receives. The main difference is love. Mr Collins proposes because he feels it is what he has to do, and he wanted to marry quickly because he did not want to miss another Sunday church service. Mr Collins lies about his love for Elizabeth and tells her that he, “almost as soon as he entered the house, he singled her out as his companion of his future life”, but in fact he first liked Jane. After Mrs Bennet told him that she was soon to marry Mr Bingley, he “only had to change from Jane to Elizabeth-and it was soon done”. His nonexistent love for Elizabeth is proved in the “very orderly manner” he proposes, because he prepares speeches for women to make himself seem more romantic, but none of the feelings expressed in them come from the heart. Elizabeth knows about his speeches and made herself miss her chance to interrupt it because she was “so near to laughing.”
On the other hand when Mr Darcy proposes he immediately tells her “how ardently he admires and loves her.” Austen confirms his true love for Elizabeth by making his proposal disorganized and spontaneous, to show that it comes from the heart.
The first proposal, from Mr Collins, is expected and Elizabeth does everything she can to avoid it. She even “begs” her mother not to leave her alone with him. On the other hand, when Mr Darcy arrives “to her utter amazement” she cannot even try to avoid the proposal because she has no idea that is going to happen. When the proposals take place Elizabeth is prepared for Mr Collins, but when Mr Darcy proposed, “she stared, coloured, doubted, and was silent.” Austen uses her speechlessness to prove that she had no knowledge of any love Mr Darcy had for her, because she is usually quick thinking whatever happens, but on this occasion she is too shocked to make a clever response. When he proposes she dislikes him the most because he split up her sister and Mr Bingley. Austen emphasizes this hatred by the fact that Elizabeth is reading Jane’s letters on his arrival. She, at this point in the novel, believes that Mr Darcy does not like her as much as she does not like him him, so is extremely shocked when he proposes.
After Elizabeth refuses the proposals they both respond in a different way. When she tells Mr Collins of her refusal he does not understand and will not accept it. He believes that “it is usual with young ladies to reject the address of the man whom they secretly mean to accept.” His inexperience in marriage leads him to believe that Elizabeth, in fact, does like him, but she is just playing a game. When he says this he is lost in all of his selfish pride. Later on he tells her that when he speaks to her again he expects a “more favourable answer” showing, that after all Elizabeth has said, he still does not realise that she does not want to marry him. Austen uses the fact that Mr Collins can not accept her refusal to confirm his pride and unintelligence.
Mr Darcy’s “complexion became pale with anger” after her reply. He did not want to show what he was feeling, so did not speak until he had regained his “appearance of composure.”. Unlike Mr Collins he accepts that he has been rejected and asks why this has happened. Austen contrasts the way in which Mr Collins and Mr Darcy react to show that even though Mr Darcy is proud, he is able to control himself not like Mr Collins
During the first two proposals Elizabeth receives, her smartness and quick thinking stands out in the responses she makes. In Mr Collins proposal she realises that it is very difficult for him to understand that she does not want to marry him, so Austen emphasizes her intelligence by making her use his respect to Lady Catherine to try and prove her refusal. She tells him that “were his friend Lady Catherine to know her, she is persuaded she would find her in every respect ill qualified for the situation.” She knows that saying that Lady Catherine would not like her would make Mr Collins think again about what he is doing. During this proposal Elizabeth manages to stay polite to Mr Collins, although, at some points, she wants to be impolite to him to make him realise her refusal.
For most Mr Darcy’s proposal Elizabeth manages to answer him “with cold civility” even though she strongly loathes him. Elizabeth is greatly upset because of the criticism she receives but still manages to respond intelligently, and with some consideration. However, after he tells her that he “did everything in is power to separate his friend from her sister”, she loses all the respect she has for him, and is shown to act thoughtlessly. Austen only tells the reader that she disrespects him after he insulted her sister, so it shows that she cares more about her family than she does herself. She can take abuse about her, but when anybody says something about a person she cares about, her attitude towards them changes.
The last proposal Elizabeth receives, from Mr Darcy, is a total contrast to the others. Unlike the first time he proposes he does not expect Elizabeth to say yes, in fact the only reason he proposes at this point is because Lady Catherine has told him that Elizabeth would not promise that she would never marry him. But, on this occasion, he was not as confident for a “favourable answer” as he was the first time. He gives her the chance to say if she still does not like him, unlike when Mr Collins proposed, when he would not let her speak at all. He asks her to “tell him so at once” if her “feelings were still what they were last April.” Austen uses this to show the reader that he has altered from his old ways, and has improved.
His way of proposing for the second time is very different. As he did in his first proposal, he tells her of his love for her, but this time he does not add why he thinks he should not marry her. He shows he respects her more by asking her how she felt about him, and let her talk about her feelings. He does not insult her at all during this proposal, but tells her that her “family do not owe him anything” and that “he respects them.” This is a contrast to his first proposal when he tells her that they are an “obstacle”.
Elizabeth replies “immediately, although not very fluently” to his proposal, and tells him that she accepts. Mr Darcy’s “happiness which this reply produced, was such as he had probably never felt before.” His pride is reduced and he lets his feelings show for the first time. Elizabeth is not able to see his delight because she is unable to look at him, but he tells her how he feels. This proves their love for each other because it shows they truly care about the other, and can trust them with their feelings. This proposal is what Elizabeth has been waiting for, and this is shown in the way she, and Mr Darcy reacts. Austen shows that the way in which Mr Darcy proposes is the most desirable by women in this period, but also shows that most people of the time marry for money, not for love and happiness.
During the three proposals a lot is shown about the three characters, Elizabeth, Mr Collins and Mr Darcy. Elizabeth is shown to be polite, firm and assertive and by far the most strong-minded character in the novel. She knows that she wants to marry for love and happiness, not just for money, and takes the correct steps to achieve it. On the other hand Mr Collins is much less of a likeable character. He shows during his proposal to be selfish, pompous and arrogant. It also shows that he lacks perception, and his pride in himself leads him to believe that he is more important than he actually is. When he is refused the reader is not made to feel sorry for him, but made to feel happy for Elizabeth in her successful refusal.
When Mr Darcy first proposes his pride makes him be disrespectful to Elizabeth, and makes him seem rude. He shows that he believes he is superior to her and he should be respected. However, when Elizabeth informs him about how his pride has made him act improperly, he tries to change. In his second proposal he is a lot more thoughtful in the way he behaves, and is shown as a much more likeable character, resulting in the acceptance from Elizabeth.
Austen uses irony throughout the novel but it is very clearly noticeable during Mr Collins’ proposal to Elizabeth. Austen satirizes Mr Collins during the novel, and informs the reader of his character prior to the proposal to let the reader appreciate his language and actions. On the other hand when Mr Darcy proposes for the second time Austen uses the way in which Mr Darcy and Elizabeth act to let the reader be aware of his, and Elizabeth’s feelings. After the proposals the reader is not made to feel sorry for Mr Collins, but is made to feel pleased for Mr Darcy. Throughout the novel Austen satirizes the characters that marry for money, and uses the marriage of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy to show that she thinks the most successful marriage is when they marry for love.
