Mr Collins Pride And Prejudice Rhetorical Analysis

In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bennet, second daughter, is popular as a potential wife. Living in a house with a mother who is trying to marry off her daughters despite age or character, Elizabeth expresses less interest in the practicality of marriage. Although her likelihood of marrying into a high social status is low due to her own middle class status and a poor family reputation, she rejects her first two marriage offers, both by men in beneficial social standings. The first proposal is from a most distasteful cousin, Mr. Collins, while the second two are from Mr. Darcy, a wealthy man who develops from his arrogance into an acceptable fit for Elizabeth. Differing from her sisters and mother, Elizabeth values the character

and romantic interest in a man and therefore sets a standard for herself and shows what sort of proposal is necessary in order to gain her acceptance. The three marriage proposals delivered to Elizabeth reveal the importance of appealing to pathos successfully in order to make an impact.

Mr. Collins is the first to be rejected by Elizabeth and with this rejection Austen proves that on the occasion of proposing, showing feeling is imperative. Though he does attempt it, Mr. Collins fails to pull at Elizabeth’s heartstrings in any way as he remarks, “But before I am run away with my feelings on the subject.” He is later described with “solemn composure” (Austen 103). Being near the beginning of Mr. Collins’ proposal (as it is a long one), Austen uses irony to portray Mr. Collins as actually a very unemotional man. The idea of Mr. Collins being “run away with [his] feelings” is discredited by his order of importance: “But before” as his priority is stating the logical reasons for his proposal and

why they should marry. Since this statement is something which makes Elizabeth “near laughing” in mockery, his attempt to engage in her emotions is a failure, proving that a more genuine heart-to-heart might have been more successful. Mr. Collins’ formal sentence structure in his proposal also lacks the emotion helpful in an argument of marriage. He executes his proposal with: “state my reasons for marrying” followed by: “First,” “Secondly,” and “Thirdly” as he lists why marriage should happen (Austen 103). This formal structure becomes awkward when on the subject of something as romantic and sensitive as marriage. Especially with Elizabeth as the audience, who searches for a romantic than practical connection, Mr. Collins logical formality does not support his argument for marriage. The list-like structure and diction such as he used lack spontaneity and in effect, personal attachment. Mr. Collins rigid practicality does not appeal to Elizabeth’s emotions in the slightest and establishes his failure accompanied by lack of pathos.
Mr.

Darcy is portrayed as a selfish, vain man at first and he is the second to propose to Elizabeth and swiftly denied. Mr. Darcy’s overbearing phrase “You must allow me to tell you,” has a dominant tone, implied by the demand: “you must” (Austen 185). Mr. Darcy’s superiority, even in confessing his love, cuts off the possibility of personal attachment by placing him and Elizabeth on two different levels and repels love for him by condescending her with dominance. Elizabeth being a character of independence and strong will, his superiority over her is an insult. Mr. Darcy’s high status gives him credibility as well as his brutal honesty: “In vain have I struggled” (Austen 185). He tells her outright that he has tried to resist his feelings for her, but he cannot, which tells one that he is not lying. Especially with his reputation of not associating outside his social group, the reader understands this must be outside his comfort zone to be “tempted” by one inferior to him. However, his credibility is trodden underfoot by his insulting language and lack of

sensitivity.
Finally Mr. Darcy uses pathos and successfully gains the love and acceptance of Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy opposes his first proposal by saying, “You are too generous to trifle with me” (Austen 1). His word choice of “too generous” in comparison to interacting with himself inverses the superiority of the situation and compliments her instead of insulting her. This appeals to pathos and gives him a reformed quality of humility. His credibility has not strayed, but suddenly he is thinking beyond self to her feelings as well as his own. This is exemplified when he puts her feelings before his own: “If your feelings are still what they were…” followed by “My affections and wishes are unchanged.” His sentence order establishes his order of thought that he is more sentimental toward her than himself now and due to Elizabeth’s acceptance, the reader infers that this reformed sensitivity has made all the difference. His sensitivity toward her is exemplified by the use of the word “feelings” since it softens the situation compared to his previous proposal: a more strident confession: “allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you,” which came as a severe shock. Later in his proposal, Mr. Darcy exclaims, “dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you!” The syntax of his dialogue suggest his passion and heartfelt love for her. His word choice of “dearest” and “loveliest” are superlatives indicating she is the most dear and most lovely he has seen or met and the exclamations manifest the romantic honesty of the situation. As known to be a very stoic character, his composed shell is broken by Elizabeth by an expressive confession of his love characterized by the short excited syntax in his dialogue. The short sentences indicate that these are not rehearsed lines because they are choppy and informal, and therefore come from the heart. Mr. Darcy’s expression of adoration and loving emotion was successful and therefore exemplifies the significance of appealing to pathos in particular.
Elizabeth’s standards help the reader to see realistic necessities for a marriage proposal. The Bennet family is filled with whimsical and desperate characters apart from a special few including Elizabeth. Through her rejections of proposals that failed to appeal to her emotions, her suitors demonstrate the significance of pathos in the event of a marriage proposal. Emotion being naturally important in a relationship, it is understandable how one may accept only those with care for the others’ feelings.