Mr Collins Proposal

Love and marriage go hand in hand. However, not all believe that. For Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy, one believes in marrying for a wife and one believes in marrying for love. Jane Austen explains this in chapters 19 and 34 of Pride and Prejudice as she describes both men's equally awkward and sudden proposals to Elizabeth.
Timing plays a major role in the failed proposals of both Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy. Both men propose to Elizabeth unexpectedly, catching her off guard and feeling cornered. To Elizabeth's surprise, shortly after a family breakfast, Collins asks to speak to her alone, where he then proposes. Similarly, Mr. Darcy catches Elizabeth off guard as he visits and automatically declares his love to her. Hand in hand with bad timing,
Collins, but for all the wrong reasons. Mr. Collins is not looking for love with Elizabeth, he is only looking for a wife. His proposal shows this as he formally lists reasons on how Elizabeth would benefit his life. He states, " My reasons for marrying are … I think it is a right thing for every clergyman … to set an example for his parish," and continues to add "..secondly, I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness"(Austen 100). Every reason he gives only shows how it would benefit him, and not Elizabeth. Mr. Collins' proposal reveals that he is confident, yet arrogant in his reasons to marry. He speaks as if Elizabeth has already accepted his proposal. He uses phrases such as, "when we are married", which implies that he is not expecting her to reject him. Elizabeth's reaction to his proposal reveals that she has a different thought process than most women during this time. She is not one to marry when she does not feel love, even if she will be left with nothing in occasion of her father's death. When refusing Collins, she says, "You could not make me happy" (Austen 101), which shows that she will not risk her happiness just for a husband. While intended to persuade her, Collins' arrogance and persistence only causes Elizabeth to resent him
Darcy proposes. Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth in a meaningful matter. While Collins' proposal was more for just having a wife, Mr. Darcy's is more for love. He mentions this as he says, "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you" (Austen 170). Mr. Darcy actually loves Elizabeth and wants to marry her for that reason only, and she knows that she loves him as well. However, his sincerity throughout his proposal is what ruins it. In the process of declaring his love for Elizabeth, he manages to insult her as well. As Elizabeth replies to Darcy's proposal, she realizes this and recalls his words as she states, "… you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character?" (Austen 171). Darcy's honesty reveals that although he loves Elizabeth, he sees himself at a higher level than her considering his rich family background and her opposite family background. Elizabeth reacts by becoming offended and insulted by his words. This reveals that she holds high pride in her family and her background despite not having as much money as