Marriage Proposals In Pride And Prejudice

1169 Words5 Pages

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of good fortune must be in want of a wife” (Austen, 2014). Comparing the similarities and differences between the marriage proposals of Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy’s first in Pride and Prejudice to Jane Austen’s heroic figure. Elizabeth Bennet does not agree with the ‘importance’ of marrying as quickly as possible to secure her future without keeping her own feelings in mind, making her a strong and different woman than were expected to act and behave during that specific time. Both the addressers are extremely condescending to Elizabeth. The main reason (not to mention Lady Catherine firstly) the laughable and pompous Mr. Collins gives Elizabeth why it is impossible to …show more content…

Collins explains “that it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first applies for their favour; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second or even a third time” (Austen, 2014), therefore he will stay and not accept her refusal making him a more comical character as described by Austen. Mr. Darcy also does not leave immediately after being rejected, but different from Mr. Collins; he accepts her refusal to his proposal and wishes to know why. Elizabeth continues her argument by not only insulting Mr. Darcy, but his character as well: “From the very beginning, from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners, impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that ground-work of disapprobation, on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry” (Austen, 2014). Elizabeth had an intimation that Mr. Collins is going to propose; therefore she is more entertained than upset when telling him that it would be “impossible” to accept, while she is more affected by Mr. Darcy’s manner of proposal as she believed that he hated her as much as she hated