He is a dishonest man because he claims “As soon as I entered the house I singled you out as the companion of my future life”. But he first liked Jane but Mrs Bennet said she was taken.
Mr Collins takes the marriage proposal as a business meeting, for example” my reasons for marrying are first, that I think it a right thing for every clergy man in easy…. Secondly that I am convinced it will add happiness…”which shows that he is conceited. His way of insulting people without realising is very pompous” Let her be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up high” he is indicating that Elizabeth is not wealthy and he value her for the reason that she is useful to him because it will make it easier for him to inherit the house without any problems and that they won’t mind their own daughter inheriting it instead of Mr Collins. In addition to this he as only one thing in mind that when Elizabeth’s father dies and inheriting the fortune” the fact is that being as I am to inherit his estate after the death of your honoured father”
His thoughts about his being a desirable husband are crushed when Elizabeth refuses his hand in marriage. He is shocked and outraged at his response from Elizabeth; his arrogance appears “by no certain that another offer of marriage may ever made you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualification. The comments he is giving aren’t true because he doesn’t really love her, he is only trying to flatter her however Elizabeth knew he was a fake and didn’t mean a word, although she was trying really hard not to hurt his feeling by refusing such a stupid man. But he still got the wrong idea.
Mr Collins had chosen Elizabeth to be his wife for many reasons. Lady Catharine De Bourgh is like god to him as she has done a lot for him. She told him to 2 Marry a gentle women for my sake, and for your own sake, let her be active useful sort of person, not bought up high”. So he thought that Elizabeth fits these reason for the marriage was it would solve all his from inheriting the Bennet estate as he will be marrying one of the daughters.
His attitude towards marriage tells us a lot about the expectations from women in the 19th century. Whereas women are supposed to be modest and out spoken, as he suggests to Elizabeth to suppress her wit and vivacity “You will find her manners beyond anything I can describe and your wit and vivacity I think must be acceptable to her to say yes no matter what as women’s answer weren’t important as the men’s. But when Elizabeth refuse he doesn’t understand and thinks he likes him secretly but is denying for fun “that it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the men whom they secretly mean to accept”
In Pride and Prejudice Mr Darcy is the second Man who proposes to Elizabeth. He is much different from Mr Collins. He is really wealthy, handsome, from the city London and is very pride. Mr Darcy is a close friend of Mr Bingley who has just moved into Netherland. He has a huge estate and earns ten thousands pounds a year. He is a very respectable man. Mr Darcy was introduced to the Bennett’s through Mr Bingley at the ball room while Mr Bingley was dancing with Jane Bennet. His Position is very high in society because of his wealth and business.
Mr Darcy was actually in love with Elizabeth unlike Mr Collins who just wanted to make his inheritance smooth. For example “you allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you” which was a formal proposal this is a very passionate and heartfelt compared to Mr Collins Clichés. Even after expressing his love he was still worried about his social status in front of people. Elizabeth wasn’t as affluent as he was her status was much lower than his signifying his snobbish attitude.
He was amazed when she refused his proposal when he asks her “I might perhaps, wish to be informed why, with his arrogance the same as Mr Collins. These both men asked for her hand in marriage but were refused for their shocking personalities. They are both filled with arrogance, this showed what men expected from women in the 19th century that they had to accept the proposal no matter how the men were.
Mr Darcy was reluctant to choose Elizabeth for his wife, as he world have to face many consequences due to his decision of marrying him. Seeing that she has a much lower status compared to him. She is from a large family of five sisters and two old parents with a moderate amount of fortune left. Whereas Mr Darcy is rich and respectable because of his high status. He was an owner of a huge estate and earned ten thousand pounds a year. He was worried about what the society will think and will she be able to adapt to his wealthy atmosphere. How will he introduce her to people or will he be ashamed of being married to a lower status girl.
From Mr Darcy’s conflict with the status barrier between them and Elizabeth, it showed the mentality of Mr Darcy’s attitude in the early 19th century. People weren’t allowed to get married out of their social status, you got married to the same level of status people so you don’t feel embarrassed or inferred to each other. Also Mr Darcy assumes Elizabeth will only accept his proposal as he’s wealthy, as said in the first line Austen uses irony to display this fact. She writes, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife”. The use of irony is seen because in actuality it is not the man that is in possession of a wife, it is a wife in possession of a man.
In conclusion Jane Austen shows a new perspective of 19th Century Marriage through these two proposals. It showed different views towards marriage. Elizabeth who over rules love from money, however her best frond Charlotte Lucas has chosen money and security over love. This is shown why in the book daughters are burdens for their parents and brothers who don’t want to look after their own sister when she is old and incapable of anything. This was the main reason of Charlotte’s marriage to Mr Collins, to relief her family worries, so that the other sisters could come out early and reassure her brothers. Despite her not liking or being in love with Mr Collins as she held a very low impression of him “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance” she treated it like a business no her life. On the other hand Elizabeth was true to her principles, twice she refused financial security, one man who was going to inherit her house and one was the richest man mentioned. She didn’t give money importance even though it was necessary to survive but she still remained patient and was rewarded by marrying a changed Mr Darcy. Finally life would be very difficult if women weren’t financially independent, she would practically ask for money everyday or if she wanted to buy something. Bur in the modern world today women are well educated and have will paid jobs and even own their own businesses. Today’s women are far more independent but much more successful and demanding. They earn themselves and don’t need a man to dominate their lives.
