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Proposals In Pride And Prejudice By Jane Austen

Decent Essays

In the novel, Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy both propose to Elizabeth. Austen enhances what we already know about the characters and uses this in their proposals; because of this the proposals are similar in some aspects and different in others. The reader already knows from earlier in the novel, that Mr. Collins is a pompous and arrogant character. The reader also knows that Collins is obsessed with Lady Catherine De Burgh and he does everything she tells him to. Mr. Collins pompousness and arrogance is shown in his proposal to Elizabeth. He is convinced that Elizabeth will accept. He over-explains himself, laying out all his reasons for marrying and explaining the "violence of his affection." He insults Elizabeth's fortune by …show more content…

Darcy is very proud and has high standards. Darcy loves Elizabeth and say that his “feelings will not be repressed” however hard he tries to. Mr. Darcy properly proposes, rather than declaring that they shall be married. However, he is just as arrogant as Mr. Collins was to Elizabeth. He insults Elizabeth's family fortune and her family's behaviour. He does not suggest that he assumes she will accept, but the overconfidence in his attitude shows the same feeling. Here is the narrator's comment of Darcy's attitude at the time: "He spoke of apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real security." Elizabeth doesn’t feel bad about refusing Mr. Collins proposal. However with the proposal from Darcy she says, “she was at first sorry for the pain he was about to receive. When he tells her how much he despises of her and how he has “struggled. It will not do,” his “feelings will not be repressed” Elizabeth is extremely offended since he’s telling her how much he hates her and simultaneously is proposing to her. He says how he “despises” of her and that he doesn’t want to love

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