'Indeed, Mr. Collins, all praise of me will be unnecessary. You must give me leave to judge for myself, and pay me the compliment of believing what I say. I wish you very happy and very rich, and by refusing your hand, do all in my power to prevent your being otherwise. In making me the offer, you must have satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to my family, and may take possession of Longbourn estate whenever it falls, without any self-reproach. This matter may be considered, therefore, as finally settled.'' And rising as she thus spoke, she would have quitted the room, had not Mr. Collins thus addressed her,
'When I do myself the honour of speaking to you next on this subject I shall hope to receive a more favourable answer than you have now given me; though I am far from accusing you of cruelty at present, because I know it to be the established custom of your sex to reject a man on the first application, and perhaps you have even now said as much to encourage my suit as would be consistent with the true delicacy of the female character.''
"Really, Mr. Collins,'' cried
"You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, that your refusal of my addresses is merely words of course. My reasons for believing it are briefly these: -- It does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy your acceptance, or that the establishment I can offer would be any other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my connections with the family of De Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, are circumstances highly in its favor; and you should take it into farther consideration that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications. As I must therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall chuse to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females.''
Since Mr Collin's first visit to Longbourn, he has been established as a character filled with arrogance and self-importance. His proposal, however, heightens his haughtiness to a level of absurdity. It is absurd at how he appears to be unconvinced to that Elizabeth is sincere in rejecting his proposal. He is constantly looking for reasons at why Elizabeth's refusal in marrying him, perceiving that it was conventional for a woman to reject the first proposal and saying that 'it does not appear to [him] that [his] hand is unworthy [her] acceptance' shows how he believes that it is only just that Elizabeth accepts him due to his social standings. He considers his relations to Lady Catherine of high significance, persuading Elizabeth that Lady Catherine would be delighted in his choice. It could be that he has no mind of his own, and simply abiding to her. Furthermore, the passage reveals that Mr Collin's proposal to Elizabeth is not out of genuine love but for the sake of social and financial importance. How 'he set about it in a very orderly manner, with all the observances which he supposed a regular part of the business' shows how he considers his proposal as a business deal and not one of a declaration of love for Elizabeth. His proposal can be seen as selfish and self-centered.
Mr Collin's view on marriage reflects the view that the society has on marriage at that time. Marriage is seen as a union between two people on the bases of financial and social advantage. In the case of Mr Collin, he feels that it is natural for him to marry Elizabeth because he would inherit Longbourn when Mr Bennet dies and the marriage will raise his reputation as a clergyman. To him, their marriage would secure Elizabeth's financial future as '[her] portion is unhappily so small' and his financial abilities was enough to make him desirable and worthy of a husband. This may the common perception that the society has in regards of marriage, but Elizabeth had her own set of beliefs.
Elizabeth believes that love should be the reason of marriage. Respect and understanding between a man and woman are vital in a partnership of marriage and it is not surprising that she refused Mr Collin's proposal due to evident lack of respect in their relationship. She recognizes that the proposal was not based on love but of financial and social gain. She knew that he was unable to make him happy, and neither could she and this is contrary to what she is seeking for in life. This shows that Elizabeth is a person of strong character, someone who sticks to her own beliefs. It takes plenty of courage for her to go against the accepted view of marriage that the society has already established. Elizabeth's romantic view of marriage, later on results in shock and disappointment when her close friend, Charlotte decides to marry Mr Collins. She could not imagine Charlotte being happy in such a marriage, although the marriage was based on sensible reasons.
In conclusion, this passage highlights the characters of Mr Collins and Elizabeth, providing insights on their views of marriage. Mr Collins is further portrayed as a pompous man while Elizabeth is elevated to a woman courageous enough to stand firm by her beliefs.
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