Marriage Proposal - SCORE 7 Two suitors in passages by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens propose marriage from very distinct points of view, one for convenience, the other for passion. The business-like offer will probably evoke a no as an answer, but the romantic request will most likely generate a positive reply. Jane Austens speaker, Mr. Collins, a very arrogant and egocentric individual, offers marriage in a haughty and condescending tone. His reasons for marrying, so he says, are for a rich clergyman like himself to set an example of matrimony in the parish, for a great addition to his happiness, and for compliance with the recommendation of his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mr. Collins tells his cousin to whom he proposes that she would have to play second fiddle to Miss de Bourgh when he says to her that she will find her [Lady Catherines] manners beyond anything I can describe; and your wit and vivacity I think must be acceptable to her, especially when tempered with the silence and respect which her rank will inevitably excite. In effect, the minister accomplishes a surrogate marriage with his patroness, and he only marries his second-best cousin because he knows he could never wed Miss de Bourgh. Mr. Collins employs such words as proper, honor, particular advice, recommendation, condescended, rank, respect, arranging, and circumstances, revealing that his passion is not directed toward his cousin but rather toward the retention of his social status through his patroness. All of these words have to do with propriety and social ordering, and in this context they disgust the reader, making him root for the girl. The speaker uses the word I throughout the passage only in a favorable fashion toward himself and promoting his thirst for a higher social position. The text ends with the word excite, which is ironic because the proposal is anything but exciting; in fact, it may only be exciting for the sycophant Mr. Collins who attaches himself to Miss de Bourgh because she bestows him with money, power, and position. Mr. Collins probably assumes and expects his cousin to accept his proposal, but she more than likely will not accept and marry such an abject, self-serving man. Charles Dickens character, on the other hand, is much more gushing and ebullient with true love for the woman whom he adores. He professes he is under the influence of some tremendous attraction which [he has] resisted in vain and which overmasters [him]. This speaker is looking for a marriage of partnership and love, not just a perfunctory and selfish one like Mr. Collins. He claims surrender to his beloved, declaring that she can draw him to fire, . . . to water, . . . to the gallows, . . . to any death, . . . to anything [he has] most avoided, . . . to any exposure and disgrace. His pronoun of emphasis is you, showing his modesty, and any I only furthers his emotional state of surrender to his love. The speakers final word is earnest, which is not surprising because, compared to the Austen passage, Dickens protagonist is many times more sincere. He utilizes such phrases as confusion, fit for nothing, and being the ruin of me, where he belittles himself in order to express humility in the face of his love for the woman. The passion he feels for her is greater than his own humble view of himself. This atmosphere makes the reader envious, longing for his own lover to be so selfless. The speaker does not assume or expect his love to say yes (as much as he might want her to), but she probably will be won over and accept his proposal. Whereas marriage is truly a contract for two people to unite their lives, individuals may enter this institution for convenience, lust, or intellectual love. Marriage is usually associated with love, as with the Dickens piece, but Mr. Collins exhibits no actual love for his cousin. Whether in the loveless business-deal proposal in Jane Austens work or the passionate offer in Charles Dickens passage, the responder to the proposal may affirm the adage that love is truly blind.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 15:00:42 +0000
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