The two different marriage proposal passages, one written by Jane Austen and the other by Charles Dickens, have different intentions on marriage proposals. The passage written by Austen will play-out as a failed proposal, while the passage written by Dickens, a romantic and passionate setup will turn out in a successful proposal. The two men’s perspectives on the topic and the attitude in which they undertake the women whom they are planning on proposing to is contradictory.
Mr. Collins, a haughty and “rich clergyman” whom is the man proposing in Jane Austen’s passage. He gives reasoning on his outlook to get married. For a man, like himself, to “set an example of matrimony in the parish,” and to “add very greatly to [his] happiness.” The diction used shows that he is passive and dispassionate about marrying. When Mr. Collins lists his reasons why he wants to propose, he makes it sound as though it is a checklist or something related to business. Mr. Collins does not act on his own will, but on the encouragement by his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. He was even recommended of “[Finding] such a woman as soon as [he] can” by Miss de Bourgh. Yet Mr. Collins does not seem eager to have a wife, Miss de Bourgh has “[gave] her unasked opinion” to Mr. Collins about
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Dickens’s character is portrayed as the perfect kind of man every woman dreams about. The man is in search of a marriage that has companionship and devotion, unlike a superficial one that Mr. Collins is going after. Any reader of Dickens’s passage can depict that the character has a remarkable lust for the woman conveyed through words and phrases including “I love you,” “tremendous attraction,” and “dreadful earnest.” Even though the speaker tells the woman he is well-off and his “reputation stands quite high,” he is not proposing to try to improve these parts of his
The angry tone of Wollstonecraft’s “Vindication of the Rights of Women” significantly contrasts with the cautionary tone of Austen’s “On Making an Agreeable Marriage,” seeking to reform society rather than guide people to live in that society. When Austen describes the drawbacks of loveless marriage, she writes that “Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without affection” (Austen 72-73). Austen uses “preferred” and “endured” to warn her niece against marrying too quickly, creating a cautionary tone. Moreover, “anything” emphasizes the miserableness of a marriage without affection, beseeching Austen’s niece to verify her love before diving headfirst into a marriage. In contrast, when demonizing the education system, Wollstonecraft
The proposal, we presume, happens in the poem and the unwillingness we believe to be married, is also v...
Dickens was devoted in his speech and mentions being a “shield” (Dickens 12) for her. Austen tells her that a “clergy man like (myself) must marry” (Austen 11). Dickens relates directly to her and tells her that he will be by her side through everything. He wants her to feel safe and protected and therefore gets a more positive response from her. Through his thoughtful word choice, the woman can see that he will always be there to support and love her. This helps her to be able to trust him and want to marry him. Austen approaches his proposal attempting to pursued his woman by showing her the benefits of their marriage. He talks mainly about how he will be greatly affected by the marriage and how it is best for him. His words come across selfish and it is noticed by her. She sees that he does not want her for her but instead for the benefits that come with her. The words used by the men influence the thoughts of the women. They take the men’s words and are able to tell how much they truly love them. The intended purpose of both proposals are reflected in the effect on the women. She is able to see what he wants and if he wants her for who she
Through the satirization of love, Austen portrays how society’s views on customs of courtship and marriage differ from her own. During the Regency Era, one was not expected to marry for the sole purpose of love. In this passage, Mr. Collins refuses to accept the fact that Elizabeth has turned down his proposal, all due to his previous notion surrounding marriage. He believes that if Elizabeth were to marry him then she would be better off financially, which generates the assumption that she will automatically accept his hand.
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen mocks 19th century “clergymen” through satire with Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins does not seem right for the job as a clergyman. He seems to be a shy character and not dedicated to help his church congregation. He is a materialistic person and things of the world by far outweigh his spiritual life (which a clergyman should make his first priority). Jane Austen scorns Mr. Collins’ kind intention of marrying a poor girl and twists it into a comedy. She does this because she is portraying clergymen in the 19th century as a stereotypical Mr. Collins.
Furthermore, seen in the novel is Austen’s depiction of Mr. Collins as strange man who knows nothing more than to be unconventionally odd. Austen wrote, “Mr. Collins, to be sure, was neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary” (Austen 120). Here she presents the thought that it is more reasonable for Elizabeth to marry a prideful man rather than a weird one. She goes on to describe him as a nuisance for those around him including his love interest, Elizabeth. The novel makes it clear that Elizabeth would not settle for the strange man who could only offer stability. Moreover, author Danielle Lucio from Chapman University, wrote in the Jane Austen Society of North America an article called Punctual to His Time: An
Austen disapproves of Mr. Collins and that is why she attacks and satirizes him. Mr. Collins is a "suck-up." His living with Lady Catherine has caused him to demoralize himself. He thinks and talks highly of people higher than himself, such as, Lady Catherine DeBourgh. An example of this is when they were invited to dine with Lady Catherine DeBourgh and Mr. Collins then tells Elizabeth,
In Austen’s time, the inability to see past wealth when considering marriage is a cultural tie to the era and its norms. It’s a pitiable and vain cultural upbringing that is frowned upon in this century. One does not simply marry for the sake of wealth and reputation. Without love, marriage cannot last. It ends in a deadlock, or with two people living together but leading separate lives behind closed doors.
...After the proposal they talk about their past relationship by having a very benign conversation, and many misunderstandings are cleared “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings for you will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you” (Austen 179).Their marriage is presented in a positive light because they have had to work hard to achieve it.
Marriage in the 19th century has always been an important issue and thus, it is manifested in most of the novels of the 19th century. Pride and Prejudice as well as Jane Eyre are two novels in which the dialectics of marriage are strongly present.
She does not need even a pleasing manner from her husband, as is evident from her choice in Mr. Collins. She does not believe that love is necessary for marriage and thinks that a woman should take the first opportunity offered to her in marriage, and, possibly it could lead to love. This is evident from her comments to Lizzie in reference to Jane and Mr. Bingley.
Collins is interested in Elizabeth as well, and wants to marry her for several reasons which he deems proper and just. Mr. Collins is certain that he is worthy of Elizabeth’s acceptance because of his connection to the family of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and his position as a clergyman, but also because he will inherit her family’s estate when her father dies. He has no notion of love or lifelong happiness, which Elizabeth finds ideal in a marriage. He tries to understand her refusal, crediting it to her “wish of increasing [his] love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females.” Elizabeth, for the sake of his understanding fully, says, “Do not consider me now as an elegant female intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the truth from her heart” (108). Austen demonstrates how Mr. Collins considers marriage to him a perfect solution to the problem of the entailed estate, while Elizabeth knows marriage to him would make her miserable. He later finds an acceptable match with the practical Charlotte
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen shows examples of how most marriages were not always for love but more as a formal agreement arranged by the two families. Marriage was seen a holy matrimony for two people but living happil...
Collins is the next one developed in Pride and Prejudice. The reasons for this ‘courtship’ are staged and written in an almost comical nature which emphasizes just how absurd Austen feels about an alliance of this sort. In this couple Austen offers up Mr. Collins as an example that men also feel great pressure to marry. In fact, Mr. Collins felt the pressure so strongly that he proposed to two women in the span of three days. His proposal to Elizabeth in chapter 19 is a hilarious speech that states laughable reasons for marriage, ``My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances to set the example of matrimony in his parish. Secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly -- which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness”. Charlotte’s reasoning for the alliance was similarly bland. In chapter 22 she states, “Mr. Collins to be sure was neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary. But still he would be her husband. Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small
Exam Phobia and Students Performance Introduction 1. Anxiety constitutes of a number of disorders including phobias. Phobia is a Greek word meaning ‘fear’ and is defined as the excessive or unreasonable fear of an object, a place or a situation. The magnitude of panic and terror caused by a phobia to a sufferer has such dimensions that it cannot be readily understood by the onlooker. It may be a social phobia (fear of speaking to public, meeting new people or other such social situations), agoraphobia (fear of being in an open space or outside) and specific phobias (fear of a particular object or a particular situation).