How Does Mr Collins Use Language In Pride And Prejudice

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen utilizes her characters, through characterization and language, as a symbol of mockery towards the ridiculous marital standards her society upholds.
Mr. Collins approaches Lizzy speaking these words, “Believe me, my dear, Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty, so far from doing you any disservice, rather adds to your other perfections.” Notice in this statement that he does not mention Lizzy’s perfection, but instead lists that she is only modest. Even though this not a bad character trait, men during this time period were not looking for women who would speak their mind, but instead looking for “modest women” to support their own attributes. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is later described having said the following

advice “Choose properly, choose a gentlewoman for my sake, and for your own, let her be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up high, but able to make a small income go a good way.” It seemed not only did men not want a woman with a mind of her own, but those who were of nobility. Jane Austen is not targeting men through her passage, but is targeting her society. A good representation of this is Lady Catherine because she is of nobility, but is careful in making her a woman to show that it is not one group to blame for the societal marital standards. This shows that it was a commonly accepted for “modest” women to conform to the environment “they agreed to” with marriage. Austen demonstrates this idea through the phrase “for my sake, and for your own.” In other words, marry someone who will not act out of their place.
Mr. Collins is an example of how men held their priorities when it came to marriage, and none of it had anything to do with the woman whom they were marrying. Mr Collin states that before he “runs away with his feelings” he must explain to her why they must marry. Of course in a real life situation, men did not have to explain their proposals, but Jane Austen created Mr. Collins to have a ridiculous character, thus giving her the appropriate gateway to use her writing to satirize marital standards. The first reason, he states, “it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set an example.” Those “easy circumstances” meaning he had a cousin, Lizzy, whose estate is under his inheritance anyway. Not only does she add little value to him, but he demeans her by saying she’s an easy marriage. The second reason he gives is “I am convinced that it will add very greatly to my happiness.” He does not mention Lizzy’s happiness. Mr. Collins’ idea of happiness is not true love, but the approval of his patroness. Which leads to his third reason, “it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour calling patroness.” She then reveals where Mr. Collins’ true feelings belonged to, which is to heed the orders of an important woman Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Jane Austen is careful not mention anything about Lizzy in Mr. Collins’ proposal. His proposal comes off as ironic because since he earlier stated that he had all “these feelings,” he does not mention those “feelings” at all during his proposal. Mr. Collins is an example of where men held their priorities when it came to marriage, and none of it had anything to do with the women whom they were marrying.
Jane Austen was a woman who had a mind of her own. It is obvious, through this passage, that she mocks people like Mr. Collins and Catherine de Bourgh who contributed to the ridiculous marital standards her society upheld. In this Austen is careful to demonstrate through her characterization and language what it really meant to be married, which is noticeably different to the reasoning people have today.