Mr. Collins, while
not a wealthy man, started from humble beginnings and worked his way up; “the
greatest part of his life having been spent under the guidance of an illiterate
and miserly father” and ends up with “a good house and very sufficient income” (69).
This is something typically praised which is seen in other novels such as Ragged Dick. To the lector’s surprise Mr.
Collins “had… originally [a] great humility of manner, but it was now a good
deal counteracted by the self-conceit of a weak head, living in retirement, and
the consequential feelings of early and unexpected prosperity” (69). The problem
with this is that Mr. Collins did not apply himself to his university studies,
and remarkably like Ragged Dick, managed to attract the notice of a wealthier,
more established member of society, and convince that person to help him along.
It was all luck, “ a fortunate chance had recommended him to Lady Catherine de
Bourgh when the living of Hunsford was
vacant; and the respect which he felt for her high rank, and his veneration for
her as his patroness, mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his
authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector, made him altogether a
mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility” (69).
Mr.
Collin’s one positive attribute is that he is relatively well off, this is the
entire reason that Charlotte Lucas marries him, and his one positive aspect has
nothing to do with him or his abilities. As for his innate characteristics, Mr.
Collins is an asinine fool, who imagines himself greater and smarter than any
of the characters who are forced to share his company. When looking for a wife
among the Bennet sisters, he does not distinguish between them, seeing them not
as individuals but rather as props to carry out “his plan of amends- of atonement-
for inheriting their father’s estate; and he thought it an excellent one, full
of eligibility and suitableness, and excessively generous and disinterested on
his own part” (69). His reasons for marriage are all egocentric:”[he thinks] it
a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances to set the example of matrimony
in his parish”, “[he is] convinced that it will add very greatly to [his]
happiness; and thirdly... it is the particular advice and recommendation of the
very noble lady [who he] had the honor of calling patroness” (103). He does not
accept Elizabeth’s refusal to his proposal, thinking himself too good of a
match to reject and treats Elizabeth as an object with no agency. All of this,
among other things that would take too much space to detail, contribute to Mr.
Collins’ despicability.
Mr. Collins is one of the most famously disliked characters in literature. Austen’s first description of him is that he “was not a sensible man” (69). I agree that his list of redeeming qualities is small. Yes, money and reputable position are assets when looking at Collins as a potential partner for the heroines. I would also say that his respect and loyalty toward Lady Catherine can be seen as admirable. However, this is the end of that list. His obsession with Lady Catherine becomes absurd. He shows admiration of her almost every time he speaks. These redundant praises can be seen as boastful more than anything. He wants not only the Bennets, but everyone he meets to know that he in the good graces of Lady Catherine.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have to disagree with the comparison between Mr. Collins and Ragged Dick. I agree that both characters are ambitious and came into great luck. However, Ragged Dick genuinely wants to improve himself and his livelihood, while Collins is much more focused on showing superiority. Dick is humble. He shows this in his persistence for hard work and kindness. Collins constantly reminds his company of his position and money. This is also illustrated, as you mentioned, when he does not believe Elizabeth would have the audacity to reject his marriage proposal. Ragged Dick is a more genuine and likable character than Mr. Collins.
I agree that Mr. Collins is tied for worst character in this novel with Mrs. Bennett, and I think they have a lot in common. Collins and Mrs. Bennett are both extremely concerned with wealth and status, and want to marry (or in Mrs. Bennett’s case marry her daughters) for some kind of social benefit, whether it be wealth or for an increase in social status. Additionally, they both suffer from a bad case of both pride and prejudice. For all the reasons mentioned above, Collins obviously has a problem with these two flaws, but Mrs. Bennett has them as well. She cares about nothing but marrying off her daughters to wealthy men, and at the end of the novel when Elizabeth marries Mr. Darcy, she will not even speak to him because she dislikes his character, despite pining for him to marry one of her daughters for a large part of the novel (358). She is constantly butting into everyone’s business and wants to control every aspect of her daughter’s lives. So, although we all hate Mr. Collins, I think Mrs. Bennett is equally an annoying character, and Austen uses these two characters to show the flaws of high society and pride and prejudice.
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