Pride and Prejudice Plot Essay

Elizabeth Bennet receives two proposals; one from Mr Collins and one from Mr Darcy. Mr Collins was a tall and heavy looking man of twenty-five years. Although he was polite and well mannered he was also pompous and had a self-inflated ego. He always made ‘never ending speeches about nothing’ and bored everyone to death. Mr Collins flattered everyone constantly but sometimes inappropriately. ‘He begged to know which of his fair cousins the excellence of it’s cooking was owed.’ -By this, Mrs Bennet was offended and assured him they were in fact able to keep a good cook. This showed his lack of judgement in when to compliment. He was also quite absurd and Mr Bennet’s sarcasm often went completely unnoticed. For example, on page 54, Mr Bennet asked if his flatteries were prepared and Mr Collins admitted that sometimes he would think of them for his amusement! Lady Catherine de Bourgh who was his patroness employed him. He grovelled to her constantly as she paid his way; because of her, he was middle/upper class. He was a clergyman at Hunsford near Rosings, Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s home. When Mr Bennet dies, Mr Collins will inherit Longburn, as Mr Bennet cannot leave the house to his wife; women couldn’t inherit. In Mr Collins’ letter, he proposes to make peace with the family. Mr Darcy on the other hand was very good looking. ‘He soon drew the attention of the room by his fine tall person, handsome features, noble mien†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He is also described as ‘a fine figure of a man’. But he was soon to be discovered to be ‘proud above his company’. He was clever, but at the same time he was ‘haughty, reserved and fastidious’. He owned Pemberly Estate and got one thousand a year. -He was upper class and he knew it; ‘He had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest.’ Darcy and Bingley had a good friendship despite many differences. ‘Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared; Darcy was continually giving offence.’ Darcy had no sense of humour and admitted it. He couldn’t see the funny side of life whereas Bingley was light hearted and liked to enjoy everything he did. In the past Wickam and Darcy had a disagreement. Mr Darcy’s father had promised Wickam a place in the church but when he died Darcy refused to help him. Mr Collins first hints on his future plans in his letter to the Bennets when he writes; ‘I cannot be otherwise than concerned at the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologise for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends.’ On the first day of staying at Longburn, he, in a conversation to Mrs Bennet said; ‘I can assure the young ladies that I come prepared to admire them.’ -Here he gave Mrs Bennet a small glimpse of his intentions. Jane Austin then gave it away saying that now having a good house and income; Mr Collins was in want of a wife. He was also pleasing Catherine de Bourgh who thought he should marry. So for the first evening Jane was the settled choice being not only the eldest, but the prettiest -this was, until he was informed by Mrs Bennet that she was soon to be engaged to Bingley (exaggeration). Then at the Netherfield Ball he asked Lizzy to dance several times and she realised she was the chosen one out of the five sisters. Mr Darcy on the other hand was far from admiring Lizzy at first and when Mr Bingley suggested he dance with her at the Meryton Ball he replied that he had not the least intention of dancing. -Bingley was dancing with the only good looking girl in the room. Here he was referring to Jane. He said Lizzy was ‘tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me.’ Then at Sir William Lucas’s party, William tried to pair up the two of them and Darcy did not resist, but Lizzy brushed him off with; ‘I have not the least intention of dancing.’ -this was pay back. It was at this party that Darcy realised his true feelings for her. At Netherfield when Jane went to stay, she fell ill and Lizzy being worried came to visit. Here, she noticed that Darcy was constantly watching her. Miss Bingley who secretly liked Darcy, in seeing that he was drawn to Lizzy tried to turn him against her. But all in vain, for whatever she said, he just stuck up for Elizabeth. Miss Bingley, in Mr Darcy’s defending her said; ‘I am afraid Mr Darcy that this adventure has rather affected your admiration for her fine eyes.’ I think when she says this she’s half-teasing and half jealous of him liking her. Before proposing, Mr Collins said to Mrs Bennet, ‘May I hope madam, for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth, when I solicit for the honour of a private audience with her in the course of this morning?’ -Here, he was basically asking Mrs Bennet’s permission to propose. He then launched straight into his ‘speech’. Mr Darcy came to visit Lizzy and at first made light conversation, asking about her health. Then there was an awkward silence where he must have been trying to think of how to start before proceeding. -Differences are already showing through. Mr Collins first said he’d chosen Lizzy almost as soon as he’d met her (which was a lie) and went on to specify his reasons for marrying her. He, as a clergyman wanted to set an example to the rest of the parish, he thought it would make his happy and he was following Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s advice. He’d obviously planed out his speech carefully but in his reasons, he had not mentioned that he was in love with her! Darcy on the other hand offered his hand in marriage because he did love her and his opening sentence expressed this clearly; ‘In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how I admire and love you.’ Mr Collins also made several insults to Lizzy when proposing to her without even realising it! For instance, he said that if she refuses, she my never get another offer. He also reminds her that if she stays single, all she may ever be entitled to is twenty-five pounds when her mother dies. Darcy put his foot in it too. After saying how much he loved her, he went on to say that it was not his wish to do so with her connections and status; ‘His sense of inferiority -of the family obstacles which judgement had always opposed to inclination.’ When he was turned down he thought she was just offended; ‘Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? -To congratulate myself on the hope of relations, your connections?’ He also admitted to trying to split up Jane and Darcy and even ‘rejoiced’ in his success of doing so. In response to rejection, Mr Collins thinks Lizzy is playing hard to get and says this is to be expected of a lady. He goes on to say all the good materialistic reasons to marry him forgetting to mention things like love. He acts as if marrying would be a good investment for Lizzy or something. He then assured her that both of her parents approved of the marriage. Mr Darcy in response to rejection is shocked and angry but manages to control himself. He asked why he had been refused and thought she must be offended by what he had said earlier; ‘Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections?’ But after saying these words he accepted her answer. Both proposals were made for very different reasons; Mr Collins obviously proposed for convenience, whereas Mr Darcy was in love. Both men also reacted in different ways when turned down; although Mr Collins couldn’t take the rejection, he was not actually bothered about anything other than having his male pride hurt. -Darcy must have been extremely upset, to him Lizzy was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with but he tried not to show his emotions. They both involved a lot of snobbery in their proposal speeches. They thought that Lizzy would not reject someone of the higher class and she should be grateful that she was chosen out of all the other girls; both reminded her constantly about her status. Mr Collins was more personal mentioning both what would happen when her mother and father died but Lizzy got more angry at Darcy because of things he has said and done in the past. Mr Collins and Mr Darcy both said in much detail all the pros and cons of the marria ge. In conclusion, both proposals have some similarities but they differ in the essential requirement of love.