Mr. Collins

Mr. Collins is one of my favorite characters written by Jane Austen. He is so awkward, tactless, and lacking in any social decorum. I read about him and I squirm! I get so uncomfortable that I have to stop reading for a moment to collect myself and then move on. When he arrives at Longbourn, it is irresistible for the Bennet sisters to mock him and lead him into drawn out descriptions of his "advantageous patronage".

My favorite part of the book involving Mr. Collins is where he attempts to court Elizabeth. Please enjoy the following excerpt:

It was absolutely necessary to interrupt him now.

``You are too hasty, Sir,'' she cried. ``You forget that I have made no answer. Let me do it without farther loss of time. Accept my thanks for the compliment you are paying me, I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than decline them.''

``I am not now to learn,'' replied Mr. Collins, with a formal wave of the hand, ``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. I am therefore by no means discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long.''

``Upon my word, Sir,'' cried Elizabeth, ``your hope is rather an extraordinary one after my declaration. I do assure you that I am not one of those young ladies (if such young ladies there are) who are so daring as to risk their happiness on the chance of being asked a second time. I am perfectly serious in my refusal. -- You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who would make you so, -- Nay, were your friend Lady Catherine to know me, I am persuaded she would find me in every respect ill qualified for the situation.''

How do you feel about Mr. Collins? Do you know or have you met anyone quite like him?

Unraveling the Darcy Mystery

It is in chapter six that we begin to see a different side of Mr. Darcy. Austen slowly reveals his depth of character, which surely contributes to his popularity among readers. Upon first meeting Elizabeth, Darcy proclaims her as "not handsome enough to tempt me,” but after getting to know her better his opinion alters. He is drawn to traits that are often not mentioned by the men of Austen. These being uncommon intelligence, her easy playfulness, and of course her fine eyes. These mentions contrast noticeably with the complements women usually receive: uncommon beauty, and possessing a gentle and humble nature to name a few. His assessment of her is by no means shallow.

Later in the novel we begin to understand the true source of his distant nature when he tells Elizabeth: “I certainly have not the talent which some people possess of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.”

As he begins to admire Elizabeth he observes he from afar, and listens to her conversations with others in order to get to know her better. It is almost as if he is too shy to speak with her.

Have you ever been guilty of misjudging a person by mistaking shyness for arrogance?

Charlotte's Advice

In chapter six, Bingley’s courtship of Jane begins to be noticed and commented on by many people. Elizabeth perceives that Jane receives his courtship with pleasure, but Jane remains guarded, which protects her from impertinent comments. Charlotte Lucus warns Elizabeth that perhaps Jane should not be so guarded. “If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him.” Charlotte recommends that a woman should show the man more affection than she actually feels in order to secure a marriage.

It turns out this is the exact argument that Darcy uses for separating Bingley from Jane. He claims that although Jane received Bingley's attentions with pleasure, she appeared to have no particular regard for him.

This instance displays one of the many timeless issues addressed by Austin in her novels. Current day American girls often receive instructions from mothers, sisters, and friends on how to let a man know that you are interested without appearing too interested and thus avoid receiving a “bad reputation.”

Have you been instructed or have you instructed others on how to walk this fine line when it comes to flirting? Will the world of dating forever be filled with games and deception?

Meeting Mr. Darcy

In Chapter three we meet the infamous Mr. Darcy, a favorite among Austen’s romantic leading men. He immediately gains the attention of the entire party because of his "fine, tall person, handsome features," and, of course, his large income. However, he soon looses favor due to his manners, which show him to be proud and "above the company." No one likes to feel like they are being looked down upon, so this reaction is understandable. He soon openly insults Elizabeth while standing in a location where she can overhear his rude comments. As the chapter concludes we are left with an unfavorable impression of this man.

Why do you think Austen chooses to paint him in such an unpleasant light? Why would she choose to have us dislike the character immediately upon introduction?

Bennet Sisters

The Bennet sisters portray many different personality types. It seems that the older sisters win in that area of life. Jane is sweet, shy, sensible, and always looks for the good in others. Elizabeth is witty, intelligent, speaks her mind, and judges on first impressions. Mary is prudent, intolerable, and works hard on her education and accomplishment. Catherine "Kitty" is silly, emotional, and does whatever Lydia does, though Lydia is younger. Lydia is headstrong, frivolous, shameless, and uncaring.

Which sister do you most resemble?

Which sister do you wish you most resembled?

Mrs. Bennet and Her Nerves

Jane Austen has created a fun introduction to the character of Mrs. Bennet in chapter one. Mrs. Bennet is possibly the most popular of her silly mother figures. The discussion of her "nerves," as she calls them, prepares us for her many fits, which will take place throughout the novel.

What a delightful character she is! Creating drama in order to get attention and alleviate boredom. Have any of you encountered a Mrs. Bennet type person at some point in your life?

In want of a wife...

The famous first lines of Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE are clever and true to life, as well as being extremely effective in setting up a major theme in the book: the pursuit of an ideal marriage partner.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

Austen goes on to say that given this “fact,” whenever a single man of good fortune moves into a residential area the families with single daughters begin vying for “ownership” of that man.

It is interesting that this behavior is alive and well in the 21st century in the United States. Only in this case it is not necessarily the families who compete for ownership, but the women themselves. Anytime a rich, single, handsome and charming man enters the scene, the hearts of the single women begin to flutter and the battle begins. This is a perfect example of why Jane Austen’s novels appeal to contemporary readers. We can relate to the characters and the situations.