In Jane Austen's novel, Pride and
Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet is one of five daughters in a family that will
lose its home when Mr. Bennet dies; at that time, the house will pass to the hands of
Mr. Collins, a pastor—who soon comes to visit. Collins hopes to marry one of the Bennet
girls. He has recently been assigned a parish so that he will be able to support a wife
and family.
Very quickly Elizabeth Bennet realizes that Mr.
Collins has decided that he wants her to be his wife. When he does
propose, Elizabeth adamantly refuses, believing that a marriage should be based on love
and not on making a "good match." However, within three days, Mr. Collins proposes to
Charlotte, Elizabeth's best friend, and she
accepts.
When Elizabeth hears the news, she is
horrified.
Elizabeth is appalled, her mother disconsolate,
and Lady and Lord Lucas are ecstatic.
(eNotes.com)
Charlotte
explains to Elizabeth that just because Mr. Collins was not successful in his proposal
to Elizabeth, it does not mean that he cannot find happiness with
another woman. So Elizabeth wishes her friend every joy. Charlotte explains to her
friend that she has never had the same romantic aspirations of marriage for love as
Elizabeth: Charlotte has hoped for an arrangement where she could have a comfortable
home and a good husband, believing this would provide her with a marriage as
satisfactory as most:
...considering Mr. Collins's character,
connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him
is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage
state.
Elizabeth tries her
best to come to terms with her best friend's choice. Elizabeth knew she and her friend
saw marriage differently, but she is amazed to realize that Charlotte would accept a
proposal that did not include affection. Elizabeth is troubled because she believes
Charlotte is settling rather than holding out for love, and she is afraid that her
friend will never be happy.
Charlotte the wife of Mr. Collins, was a most
humiliating picture! — And to the pang of a friend disgracing herself and sunk in her
esteem, was added the distressing conviction that it was impossible for that friend to
be tolerably happy in the lot she had
chosen.
Elizabeth still cares
for Charlotte, and is disappointed with her acceptance of Mr. Collins' proposal, but it
is simply because she wants her friend to be happy and believes love must be a piece of
a marriage for someone to realize true happiness.
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