Compare and Contrast Mr Darcy's First Proposal to Elizabeth with Mr. Collins' Proposal.
Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” reveals the importance of social status and how marriages affected women at that time. The book opens with the words, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” This implies that the main interest in the book will be marriage. The main character is Elizabeth Bennet who does not want to marry only for a comfortable life style but also for love. There is a big contrast between Mr Collins’ and Mr Darcy’s proposals to her and they give us an insight into their characters, as well as social and economic expectations.

Mr. Collins decides to propose to Elizabeth Bennet, “having no feelings of diffidence” with “all his solemn composure” because he supposes this is only a “regular part of business”. Mr Collins’ speech is pompous, longwinded and sounds as if he has learnt it by heart. The proposal is also emotionless. He tries to compliment Elizabeth by talking about her “modesty” and “natural delicacy”. He states that as soon as he entered the house, he had already “singled” her out as the “companion” of his “future life”. This is not true because he first chose Jane. He also mentions that Elizabeth’s “wit and vivacity, especially when tempered with the silence” will suit Lady Catherine de Bourgh who Mr. Collins tries to please. This is ironic because Elizabeth has a lively character and Lady Catherine, later on in the book, dislikes her boldness.

He proposes in a very orderly manner. In his proposal, he lists the “reasons” why he needs to marry. It is right for a clergyman to marry, for his own happiness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh said a clergyman like him “must marry” and, lastly, he mentions his inheritance of the Longhorne estate after the death of Elizabeth’s father.