Pride and Prejudice
Spring 2008
Topic 3
Depth of Love
All the women in the novel Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen feel pressure to marry a rich man who can help to increase wealth and to elevate her social class, thus stabilizing their economic future. However the method of how each individual deal with this pressure is different. Charlotte for example, accepts her situation and marries Mr. Collins because he is a man who has possession. However, Elizabeth who emphasizes the need of true love does not marry Mr. Darcy right away even though he has a huge fortune. The relationship between the two couples: Darcy and Elizabeth, and Charlotte and Collins is juxtaposed to illustrates further about the difference between those two couples, shows how significant that one’s decision can have considerably different results, and demonstrates the importance of depth of love.
Mr. Collins has lacked too much patience after proposing Elizabeth because he has asked Charlotte for marriage soon after Elizabeth denies him. Even though he showed his assumption that Elizabeth might refuse the marriage several times but eventually will end up accepting the proposal, as other ladies in general do, he does not wait and proposes to Elizabeth for a second time but proposes to Charlotte instead. There, Mr. Collins’ character of capriciousness is shown and proves once more how ridiculous he is. Mr. Darcy on the other hand, waits for Elizabeth with endurance even though Elizabeth has constantly expressed her intense dislike toward him. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth have had a steady relationship and known each other very well even though they had some “low points,” (163). Mr. Darcy’s patience and his true love toward his lover, unlike Mr. Collins, ultimately result by getting Elizabeth’s love in return. Perhaps, if Mr. Collins had more tolerance, proving that love toward Elizabeth is true, he might have end up being the one who engages with Elizabeth....