Elizabeth Bennet Proposal

Pride and Prejudice, a novel by Jane Austen highlights societal marriage expectations in the Regency Era through proposals. Elizabeth Bennet, a main character is proposed to by two contrasting characters: Fitzwilliam Darcy and William Collins. Mr Darcy is a rich and powerful man, from a respected family, and he is eventually the romantic hero of the novel. Mr Collins is the cousin of Elizabeth and a man of the church, he is to eventually inherit the Bennet’s estate when Elizabeth’s father dies. From the structure, language and style used by Jane Austen to portray the characters, the reader can tell from the proposals that Darcy is: arrogant, superior and honest. Whereas, Collins is: unauthentic, foolish and superficial. Speech and free indirect

Elizabeth doesn’t think highly of Collins and thinks of him as an unintelligent man, she begs her mother to ‘not go’, she desperately doesn't want to be alone with Collins because she has an idea of what is to come. She is forewarned for the proposal, but she isn't prepared for what Collins will confess. Elizabeth doesn’t have strong dislike against Collins initially, however, she knows that he is ‘not a sensible man’. During Collins’ proposal, Jane Austen uses free indirect style to reveal Elizabeth’s innermost feelings. Collins says he doesn’t want to be ‘run away with his feelings’, this makes Elizabeth ‘so near to laughter’; this highlights how humorous the proposal is because Collins is fabricating all of the feelings in his speech – this shows his unauthentic nature. Elizabeth interrupts Collins and tells him that he is ‘too hasty’, this is valid because she has only met Collins, but this proposal isn’t motivated by love. Although Collins is a foolish man, he knows marriage with Elizabeth is the best situation for the Bennet sisters after their father dies. Elizabeth declares that Collins couldn’t make her happy, and she is ‘the last woman in the world who could’ which is the harsh truth that Collins needs to hear because he is denial. Whilst speaking to Collins, she cries ‘with some warmth’ – she pities Collins, she doesn’t have any strong feelings against feelings, this indicates that although he is foolish, Collins isn’t a mean person. Conversely, with Darcy, Elizabeth is prejudiced towards before his proposal, due to previous encounters. When Darcy first arrives in Elizabeth’s room, she answers him ‘with cold civility’, her dislike towards him is very evident, and it is the main reason why she rejects his proposal. Her feelings towards Darcy are