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Emma by Jane Austen character development
Critical note on characterization in the novels of jane austen
Emma by Jane Austen character development
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The marriage between Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas was not based upon love and suitability but rather on Charlotte’s desire for financial stability and Mr. Collins’ desire to fulfil Lady Catherine’s orders, resulting in a loveless and undesirable marriage. When Mr. Collins proposed to Charlotte, the text read “The stupidity of which he was favored by nature, must guard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for its continuance; and Miss Lucas, who accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, cared not about how soon that establishment were gained.” This quote shows that Mr. Collins was an unattractive man due to his stupidity and that no woman would have ever married him with romantic …show more content…
Collins, on the other hand, married Charlotte because he wanted to fulfil the desires of his wealthy patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. According to chapter nineteen of Pride and Prejudice, one of the reasons Mr. Collins gave for wanting to marry was “that it was the recommendation of a very noble lady whom I have the honor of calling patroness.Twice she has condescended to give me her opinion on this subject. Miss de Bourgh said, Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry.” Mr. Collins’ description of Lady Catherine de Bourgh indicates that he was highly honored to have her give advice to him and believed that he must follow her orders to to show his respect and honor for her. This meant that Mr. Collins was willing to marry any woman regardless of if he was compatible or in love with them. As a result of Charlotte and Mr. Collins’s desire for personal advancement, both were in a loveless marriage in which neither truly suitable for each other as lifelong partners. According to chapter twenty-eight, when Elizabeth Bennet, a friend of Charlotte’s, visited her and her husband “Charlotte took her sisters and friend over the house, extremely pleased, probably, to have the opportunity of showing without her husband’s
Elizabeth feels sorry for Charlotte, “ But she had chosen it with her eyes open; and through evidently regretting that her visitors were to go, she did not seem to ask for compassion” (pg. 209). Charlotte was not cautious in thinking of her sadness of marrying Mr.Collins, but only thought
Mr. Collins, as said before, has got his priorities all wrong. Where he should be devoted to his spiritual life and his congregation, he finds money (Lady Catherine) the most important. Wherever he goes, he promotes Lady Catherine and sucks up to her. We see that when Mr. Collins dines at Mr and Mrs Bennet’s house, he is very enthusiastic about expressing his thoughts on her. Jane Austen says “The subject elevated him to more than usual solemnity of manner…” Mr. Collins thinks of Lady Catherine as he should (as a clergyman) think of God. He thinks of her superiority as immense compared to his own, “he had never witnessed in his life such behaviour in a person of rank,”, “and that the most elevated rank”, “and she often condescends to drive by my humble abode in her little phaeton and ponies” (he makes known the difference in rank between him and her). As I said, he should be acting this way to “spiritual” God, not human “materialistic” Lady Catherine.
In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet’s journey to love and marriage is the focal point of the narrative. But, the lesser known source of richness in Austen’s writing comes from her complex themes the well-developed minor characters. A closer examination of Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s dear friend in Pride and Prejudice, shows that while she did not take up a large amount of space in the narrative, her impact was great. Charlotte’s unfortunate circumstances in the marriage market make her a foil to Elizabeth, who has the power of choice and refusal when it comes to deciding who will be her husband. By focusing on Charlotte’s age and lack of beauty, Austen emphasizes how ridiculous and cruel marriage can be in this time.
Society has engrained in Charlotte Lucas’ head that a woman who does not successfully marry will not successfully live. Thanks to society, Charlotte no longer values love, only marriage. “Without thinking highly either of men of matrimony,” marriage has always been Charlotte 's object” (Sleeping with Mr. Collins 120). Charlotte Lucas, unlike Elizabeth Bennet, was self-seeking and largely influenced by societal protocol that she became willing to sacrifice her own happiness. “She would have sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage” (Austen 85). She knows that if she does not accept the marriage offer from Mr. Collins, she may never receive another offer and therefore will be a failure in society. Charlotte saw this marriage as her only escape from exclusion from her community. “For Charlotte, this marriage represents an estimable improvement over lifelong spinsterhood” (The feminist critique and Five Styles of Women’s roles in Pride and Prejudice 42). In attempts to avoid the single lifestyle, Charlotte sacrifices a happy marriage and therefore a happy life. By creating the character of Charlotte Lucas, Austen is emphasizing the large burden marriage create for a women in the 1800s. Charlotte and Mr. Collins pitiful display of a loveless marriage display the
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,
and her friend Charlotte Lucas in Chapter six two main views on marriage is brought to the forefront. Charlotte gives the view that Marriage is more of a necessity so that women can have financial stability, whereas it is evident that Elizabeth believes in marriage. should be a union of two loving people and a lasting emotional situation. Then the s Charlotte’s view is that she will marry Collins because she needs to. hold her situation financially and socially, and not because of any.
Without a suitable marriage, the Bennett girls will not be able to count reputation or wealth as their blessings. Charlotte's choice to marry Mr. Collins also reveals how little education young women of this time receive; girls are educated in proper, "cultured" behavior, and perhaps some literature…nothing more. This lack of a real education leaves women few options as far as a profession, other than a governess. If a woman cannot earn a living, the only other option is marriage.
Already, the reader can see Charlotte’s tactful ways, her use of the words “disposition” and “parties” almost makes marriage seem like a business transaction one of comfort not love. Also, Charlottes places the disposition as the subject of the sentence where the parties are not in direct conversation with one another. Specifically, the parties are ever mentioned as object of prepositions as seen in “of the parties” and “to each other” suggesting that they are not of true importance rather their marriage is. Charlotte speaks more to the general attitude of the period, the plain desire of being married. In the same conversati...
The character of Lady Catherine de Bourgh is an integral element of the plot, contributing to, as well as influencing, the final outcome of Darcy's marriage and the various factors associated with it. Lady Catherine, a prominent and influential noblewomen in the English aristocracy, thrusts her domineering predilections onto her family, friends, and acquaintances, starting with the pompous clergyman she patronizes, Mr. Collins. Lady Catherine exerts her influence upon Mr. Collins by frankly telling him that he "must marry ...a gentle woman for [her] sake" (92). This effectively causes Collins to peruse Elizabeth, the daughter of the man whose estate he will inherit. After being rejected by Elizabeth, Collins marries Elizabeth's childhood friend Charlotte. On a trip to visit the newly married couple, Elizabeth finds herself and Lady Catherine's nephew, Fitzwilliam Darcy, at a dinner party hosted by Lady Catherine herself. At the dinner party, Lad...
Elizabeth is so upset about charlotte marrying Collins because she is afraid if being forced into a similar marriage or ending up as having no money, no marriage .Concerning the civil status and economic right of woman , Austen is hitting at the patriarchal society. The nightmare of not marrying is worse than marrying someone like Mr. Collins.
After James and Isabella become engaged, Isabella states, “Had I the command of millions, were I mistress of the whole world, your brother would be my only choice” (Austen 87). Even Catherine takes note of how much this statement connects Isabella to other Gothic heroines of the stories she so loves. Yet, it is nothing but false lies. Isabella dumps James as soon as she finds a suitor that seems to offer her the prospect of more status and wealth.
Charlotte Lucas's views on marriage conform to those of contemporary society. For Charlotte, ' situation' is all. She requires no emotional motivation, only a willingness to participate in the arrangement.
Mr. Bingley is often accompanied by Fitzwilliam Darcy, who is a very proud man. Elizabeth Bennet, who is proud of herself, and Mr. Darcy are not fond of one another from the start, these two characters pose the central conflict in the novel. As the novel progresses, Elizabeth receives a marriage proposal from her cousin, Mr. Collins, and turns him down. Mr. Collins then proposes to Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s best friend, who accepts. Elizabeth then leaves home to stay with, the Collins’ who live near Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy’s aunt.
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
I myself thought this way, when I thought that Charlotte ends up marrying Collins “because she isn’t young, pretty, or rich,” regardless of the way that she's “a sensible, intelligent person.” But that is really to misquote, or converse, Charlotte's circumstance. It's surely genuine that she isn't young, pretty, or rich. And that those realities set the stage for her marriage. But at the same time it’s actual that Charlotte marries Collins in light of the fact that she is sensible and intelligent.