parish.’ (p51)
Lady Catherine is shown to be a woman who believes that due to her social status and her substantial fortune, her opinions and instructions should be followed without question. For example she is happy to use, what she presumes to be, her superior knowledge of social etiquette to assist the ‘less fortunate’ such as Mr. Collins. Austen does not agree with this opinion and shows this through the satire of Lady Catherine’s instructions to people about how they can better themselves. This is explored further when Lady Catherine bestows these comments onto equally ridiculous characters, such as Mr. Collins who comments that these instructions give him ‘superior society’ (p178). These humorous subtleties allow Austen’s social analysis of such people to be shown in a comic manner.
Austen also shows her opinion of Lady Catherine through the description,
‘Her air was not conciliating…such as to make her visitors forget their inferior
rank...whatever she said, was spoken in so authoritative a tone, as marked her
self- importance.’ (p135)
This satirical instance of characterisation shows again how Austen creates intricate characters which we can assume are based on her personal findings of such people. Lady Catherine frequently speaks to Elizabeth in a condescending manner. Elizabeth however, being Austen’s sensible character responds to Lady Catherine using sharp wit and satire.
‘Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle
with so much dignified impertinence.’ (p138)
Later in the novel, Lady Catherine confronts Elizabeth about Darcy and ‘forbids’ the marriage not knowing whether Elizabeth has accepted the proposal or not. This suggests that she believes those who are beneath her in social status should do as she instructs. When Elizabeth refuses to say whether or not she is engaged to Darcy, Lady Catherine says,
‘Obstinate, headstrong girl! ...Is this your gratitude for my intentions last
spring?’ (p294)
From this quote, we can see that Austen believes that people of the aristocracy do not expect to be disobeyed.
Mr. Collins is a prime example of how Lady Catherine expects people who are below her social status to act around her. He is eager to please and show off, as discussed earlier; he is proud of his dealings with Lady Catherine. He may be eager to please many above his social status, but conveys hate upon those whom he is even related to.
Mrs. Bennet is torn between revulsion for him (not because of his character, but because the house is entailed to him) and liking him as a potential husband for one of her daughters, so that the house will be entailed to them if Mr. Bennet dies.
‘My cousin, Mr. Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this
house as soon as he pleases.’
Mr. Collins also has the desire to do things ‘properly,’ the fortunate chance of him meeting Lady Catherine when life in Hunsford became vacant, resulted in a good house. He also obtained a sufficient income due to being a clergyman traditionally, as he is the second son of the family.
With his good house and income he chooses to seek a wife from one of the Bennet daughters as it would prevent the family from being thrown out of the house once Mr. Bennet passes away. This displeases Austen as Mr. Collins is choosing to marry for business rather than love and soon concludes this business by proposing to Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s refusal of marriage is because she simply didn’t love him.
‘You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last women
in the world who would make you so.’ (p90)
Austen presents her thoughts of marriage through her main character Elizabeth.
This forces Mr. Collins to look elsewhere and when Charlotte Lucas accepts his proposal of marriage, Elizabeth is shocked because of Charlotte’s reasons for accepting him.
‘I am not romantic you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and
considering Mr. Collins character, connections, and situation in life, I am
convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair, as most people can
boast on entering the marriage state.’
Austen disapproves of Charlottes actions as Charlotte is marrying for money rather than love, which Austen is against.
The Bingley sisters are the most prominent of the characters. Caroline, although bright, is proud and prejudiced in her reactions to the Bennets, particularly Jane and Elizabeth.
‘….. Her jealousy and dislike of one sister much exceeded her affection for the
other.’
They are introduced in the novel when Mr. Bingley arrives in Netherfield. They are very proud and consider themselves to be people to aspire to, but are highly sarcastic and condescending towards Elizabeth.
‘I shall never forget her appearance this morning. She really looked almost
wild.’ (P.28)
From this quote, we can see that characters such as these do not expect to be at all associated with characters such as Elizabeth and because of this, Austen condemns them using sharp wit and satire.
Miss Bingley soon observes and suspects enough tension between Elizabeth and Darcy to become jealous and feels that Elizabeth isn’t fit for Darcy because of her parents and the fact that she has no connections. On the other hand, Darcy thinks nothing of Miss Bingley’s comments and calls Elizabeth ‘the most handsome girl.’ An opinion that has changed since the first ball. This quote shows that there is no reason for Darcy to be fond of Elizabeth other than love.
In the first few chapters Miss Bingley is assumed to be Jane’s friend but as Jane and Mr. Bingley become more infatuated and Miss Bingley realizes Mr. Bingley’s intentions, she becomes rude to Jane by keeping her away from Mr. Bingley and compelling him to go to London.
Miss Bingley’s expectation that Darcy will find her flirting irresistible shows how shallow she is compared to Elizabeth, whose calm, demeanor amid the sniping at Pemberley sets her apart from the other women.
‘Pray, Miss Eliza, are not the-shire militia removed from Meryton? They must
be great loss to your family.’
Mrs. Bennet is almost certainly the most earsplitting character of them all with the fact that she is honest enough to give her thoughts and opinions about anyone that displeases her. She is by no means a model for her daughters and throughout the novel, Mrs. Bennet herself is a social embarrassment, shallow and snobbish. She clutches at her lost youth through indulging Lydia and Kitty and is concerned more with marrying her daughters into money, than because they are in love.
‘Of having another daughter married to Mr. Collins, she thought with equal
certainty, and with considerable, though not equal pleasure.’
This quote shows how Mrs. Bennet ranks Elizabeth as her least favorite child due to Elizabeth’s refusal of Mr. Collins marriage proposal.
Mrs. Bennet married above her position in society to Mr. Bennet. She is in juxtaposition with him and their marriage is an illustration of what may well happen between Lydia and Wickham.
When Lydia leaves with Wickham, Mrs. Bennet becomes extremely immature and stays in her room until the entire problem is resolved.
‘Why did the Forsters ever let her go out of their sight………. I always thought
they were very unfit to have the charge of her; but I was over-ruled, as I
always am.’ (p.235)
This quote shows how Mrs. Bennet blames every person who had any part in this and feels that she is the victim in this.
When Mrs. Bennet discovers that Lydia is to get married, her ill thoughts of everything and mainly Wickham become violent forms of delight.
‘This is delightful indeed!-She will be married!-I shall see her again!-She will
be married at sixteen!’
This quote shows Mrs. Bennet to have inappropriate behaviour as everyone else is still in shock about what has happened but she proceeds from being the worst effected to the most excited.
In conclusion the novel reveals rewarding depths of comedy and irony as well as leaving us fulfilled and contented, rather than miserable and frustrated at the end. In the end Elizabeth and Darcy change and lose their pride about their positions but the satirical characters don’t because they are either high up in social status or they have married financially rather than for love and so preserve their pride. I think Austen’s satire is effective when using characters such Mr. Collins and his proposal to Elizabeth which brings her ‘so near laughing that she could not use the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop him farther’
