As soon as Mrs Bennet is introduced, Jane Austen has written it so that you form some very strong opinions of her straight away. ‘Have you heard that Netherfield Park is to let at last?’. She is a very inquisitive character and loves to know what is happening.
The narrator’s opinion or Mrs Bennet is very low. The narrator knows Mrs Bennet herself too well. ‘I have no objection to hearing it.’ ‘This was invitation enough.’ the narrator knows her well enough, to know that any chance Mrs bennet gets of gossiping or talking, she will take it. Later, the narrator makes a similar comment ‘Unable to contain herself began scolding at one of her daughters.’ knowing that this also, was not such an unfamiliar sight.
Mr Bennet gets very annoyed by mrs bennet, and can’t understand why he married her. He also very amused by mrs bennet though, and winds her up constantly. He pretends to be stupid to try and get a reaction out of Mrs Bennet, asking why Mr Bingley has no importance in their life.
What makes Mrs Bennet so much more amusing towards the reader, is how over dramatic she is, ‘She is a great deal to ill to move.’ She exaggerates everything.
Jane Austen also satirises Mr Collins, for his morality. He is a priest and people expect him to be an intelligent and calm man. Mr Collins is actually a clumsy, irresponsible man who just wants a wife no matter what she is like on the inside. “He’s assuring himself, to make any possible amends..” He sees women as objects as and no more than accessories. He even uses the same speech to propose to both Elizabeth and Charlotte. His speeches reflect how self-centred he is, since he talks most often about himself or his relations with Lady Catherine rather than his love for Elizabeth or Charlotte. He doesn’t understand love. Even once Elizabeth has rejected him, he is not hurt, and straight away proposes to charlotte, with no hesitation. He thinks all women would love to marry him, ‘But I can assure the young ladies that I come prepared to admire them.’ he flatters all women as he assumes ladies like his comments.
Mr Collins other big value in his life, is himself. He has self importance and thinks extremely highly of himself. ‘He could not help but flatter himself.’ He has a very different view of himself to the ways in which others perceive him.
Mrs Bennet describes Mr Collins as an ’Obsequious man,’
He sees himself as a moral figure but his personality and actions prevent other people seeing him as one. ‘I propose myself the satisfaction of waiting on you and your family, Monday, 18th November by 4 o’clock.’ He is inconsiderable of whether it is ok for him to visit and extremely selfish.
The church isn't the most important thing in his life, but people like Lady Catherine de Bourgh are important to him because of her wealth and power and in his mind, she comes before anyone, even god.
‘Grateful respects towards her ladyship, and be ever ready those rites and ceremonies which are institute by the church of England.’. He doesn't behave the way we would expect a person from the church to act.
Mr Collins comes across as a very shallow man, who only cares about people’s wealth, rank and looks. He assumes that everybody is interested about Lady Catherine. ‘In the motion of his lips were the words ‘apology,’ ‘Hunsford,’ and ‘Lady Catherine.’’ It comes across as he is obsessed and honours her for her status ‘He’s going to show grateful respects towards her ladyship.’
Mr. Collins is fond of making long and daft speeches which have absolutely no meaning in themselves. He is extremely coy, using many words and not saying much within them. Mr. Collins’s, speeches are not meant 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.
One way, in which Jane Austen emphasizes Mr Collins’s ridiculousness, is by placing him against a character that seems very real, and in this case he has been place up against Elizabeth, which makes Mr Collins seem unbelievable at times.
