Jane Austen 's Pride And Prejudice

Austen shows the reader a strong sense of duty through her character Charlotte. Of Charlotte, Austen says “marriage had always been her object; it was the only provision for well-educated young women of small fortune,”(22). Mr. Collins proposes to Charlotte Lucas soon after Elizabeth rejects his offer. Charlotte knows that her friend Elizabeth has declined Mr. Collins’ offer. Charlotte also knows that it is not socially acceptable for Collins to propose to someone else so soon after he is rejected. The quick rebound also shows that Collins does not have any affection for Elizabeth or Charlotte. Charlotte however, accepts his proposal. When asked about her reasoning for doing so, Charlotte tells Elizabeth that acceptance was her only option because she might not receive another offer of marriage. Charlotte believes Elizabeth foolish for rejecting Mr Collins’ proposal of marriage for this reason. Charlotte believes that her duty, and Elizabeth’s duty, as women includes

Charlotte certainly notices Mr. Collin’s ostentatious behavior but chooses to ignore it, “ When Mr. Collins said any thing of which his wife might reasonably be ashamed, which was certainly not unseldom, [Elizabeth] involuntarily turned to Charlotte… in general Charlotte wisely did not hear” (Austen 154). Charlotte does not even acknowledge her husband, talk of helping him improve himself. The narrator, a reliable source comments on Charlotte and Mr. Collin’s relationship: “ When Mr. Collins could be forgotten, there was a great air of comfort throughout, and by Charlotte’s evident enjoyment of it, Elizabeth supposed he must be often forgotten” (Austen 155). Charlotte is content but not happy and yet so she is pleased with the life she has created for herself. Charlotte and her husband exist in different spheres as Charlotte clearly ensures that she has as little contact with Mr. Collins as possible. We see this in her set up of the parlor, otherwise “ Mr. Collins would have undoubtedly been less in his own apartment as they sat in one equally”(Austen 164). Charlotte’s behavior with Mr. Collins is pre-meditated and well deliberated; her union with Mr. Collins is one of avoidance than marriage.

Most importantly, due to his religious duty. As she told her friend, Elizabeth, about accepting a proposal from Mr. Collins, Elizabeth full of of shock replied, “Engaged to Mr. Collins! My dear Charlotte, -- impossible” (Austen, 122). Elizabeth’s shock is because she believed he would not be the right person for her. However, Tony Tanner agrees that Charlotte views her marriage strictly as a “preservative from want” (Bloom, 66). This symbolizes Charlotte marries Collins because she did not want to be a load for her family especially her mother who went through difficulties to find her a mate Marrying Collins helps Charlotte than it did for him because she received advantages such as financial, security, and unburden to her family as well as getting a higher rank. She coldly admits to Elizabeth, “…I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins 's character, connection, 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, 123). Charlotte’s train of thought is Mr. Collins is her last option of marriage to have her own life instead of living with her parents. Their marriage is based on societal norms and she agrees to marry him, even with the knowledge that they have different personalities. She marries Collin in disregards of her self-respect and his undurable personality.

Charlotte continually disregards her dream of love and to belong to someone and surrenders to that which she believes will make society approve of her. Charlotte is the only character that appears to be level-headed when acting what seems to be ridiculous. She does not marry for love, but she still seems to be reasonable and she has thought through this decision. Charlotte arrives at approval from society, but only after she surrenders her dream to that of her superego and

To begin, readers can detect that Elizabeth is acting out of a moral compass because of her firm beliefs about marriage. While the main concern of most women during this time period was to find financial stability, Elizabeth sought to find a partner to marry out of love. This sharp contrast to the status-quo woman is found in the character of Charlotte Lucas, who repeatedly affirms the fact that she is only looking for a man with wealth and a comfortable home. Charlotte also accepts a marriage proposal three days after her fiancé had

After Collins proposes to Elizabeth, Charlotte, knowing she needs a husband, jumps straight in with her tactics.  She doesn't however tread

She is described as (Austen 13), and it can be assumed based on the narrator leaving out any qualities relating to her appearance as well as her older age (for the time period) that she is not remarkably attractive. She desires to be away from her parents home and really does not want to be forced to grow old alone, with no financial stability. When Mr. Collins proposes to her, she accepts the proposal" (Austen 83), because he can provide for her all that she is currently lacking. In Regency England, a woman's only job was to find herself a husband so that she could begin a family, have a home and be secure. It was completely natural for a woman to accept a proposal of a man she may not love because she knew that this could be her only chance to marry, and she would be fulfilling her duty in civilization. Charlotte's decision to marry Mr Collins is practical and logical as a woman who is growing older, and she ultimately chooses a secure future over love and romance, as many women did in the 18th and 19th

Charlotte Lucas agrees to marry Mr. Collins due to his “character, connections, and situation in life… convinced that [her] chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast”

With Charlotte’s current situation, money was also a large problem without a husband. At Hertfordshire, Charlotte wasn’t going to get much money nor a good future. As stated before, Mr. Collins was the only escape from a sad future, “Mr. Collins's present circumstances made it a most eligible match for their daughter, to whom they could give little fortune; and his prospects of future wealth were exceedingly fair” (Austen 87). As she thinks about her family, she finds the only way to make them happy, “Charlotte herself was tolerably composed. She had gained her point, and had time to consider of it. Her reflections were in general satisfactory” (Austen 87). Her point, being marrying Mr. Collins, was considered with her family as well as the

However, Charlotte was just doing what she has been taught. In Jennifer McClinton’s article, “Love in Pride and Prejudice,” she talks about how people believed that marriage was used to provide financial security and one's happiness was put second to that. Which is why Charlotte believed that ”marriage and financial security, not necessarily happiness or love, must be a woman's main goals when she has little fortune herself”

Her acceptance is motivated by economic and social incentives rather than personal happiness. Charlotte’s explains to Elizabeth her rationale for accepting by saying: “I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair, as most people can boast on entering the marriage state”. (Austen 85) The attitude of Charlotte towards marriage is consistent with the sexist female stereotypes of the times, whereas Elizabeth’s attitude is guided by critical thought and freedom to

Neither Charlotte nor Mr. Collins is romantic at all, and “Charlotte is in fact an appropriate match for Mr. Collins…for Charlotte Lucas Collins is a vestigial character, left over from an era of pragmatic rather that romantic matches, before the discourse of the later eighteenth century created unbridgeable moral conflict over arranged or prudential marriages” (Perry 3). Charlotte’s happiness in her marriage is never mentioned negatively. Although, Charlotte tries to keep Mr. Collins away from her during the day, their marriage isn’t broken. Mr. Collins is the only hope of marriage since “the chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state” (Austin 75). Since marriage in the nineteenth century was many times about wealth and status, instead of love, being happy in a marriage with their spouse isn’t what Charlotte is looking

On the other hand Charlotte and Mr Collins’s marriage was established on financial and social security, illustrated through her pragmatic approach in “I ask only a comfortable home” and that “happiness…is entirely a matter of chance”. Her willingness to marry Mr Collins comes as a result from filial and social pressures to save herself from family disgrace and spinsterhood, particularly since Sir William Lucas held a prominent position of power within society. Austen criticises the superficial relationships. Her practical and logical step counter’s Elizabeth’s (and Austen’s) approach to marriage. In comparison Elizabeth and Darcy’s progressive marriage is reinforced to be ideal, based off Darcy’s confession in “how ardently I admire and love you” and disregard for the power gap between landed gentry and noblemen. Their compatible relationship is also emphasised through Mr Bennet, “but will he make you happy?” illustrating how happiness is the contributing factor rather than financial means. The pursuit in understanding relationships is emphasised by a comparison of these three marriages.

Though common during the time, the idea of marrying for comfort and stability is appalling to Elizabeth, which is why Mr. Collin’s proposal is so amusing. However, without knowing what the norms of society are and without knowing other viewpoints, specifically Charlotte’s, on marriage, Mr. Collins proposal may have had a different impact to the novel as a whole: it is Charlotte’s insights on marriage that give shape to Elizabeth’s thoughts.

“I see what you are feeling,” replied Charlotte, -- “you must be surprised, very much surprised, -- so lately as Mr. Collins was wishing to marry you. But when you have had time to think it all over, I hope you will be satisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic, you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins's 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.”