Comparing Two Proposals to Elizabeth Bennet

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Comparing Two Proposals to Elizabeth Bennet The tow proposals to Elizabeth Bennet differed in many ways. Both came out of nowhere for Elizabeth and to her were utterly preposterous at the time. Elizabeth is aware of Mr Collin's fondness toward her and so when her mother urges her to have a private audience with Mr Collins she tries her best to avoid having to endure his proposal and giving him the rejection that she eventually gives. Lizzy says, 'Dear Ma'am, do no go- I beg you will not go- Mr Collins must excuse me. - He can have nothing to say to me that any body need not hear. I am going away myself.' This is Elizabeth's way of politely trying to indicate to her mother that she does not want to be left alone with her cousin and therefore does not want to hear his proposal. Her mother however is oblivious to Elizabeth's efforts to avoid this embarrassing situation and Mrs Bennet simply says, 'Lizzy I insist on your staying and hearing Mr Collins.' Mrs Bennet does not seem to care about her daughter's obvious resistance to marrying Mr Collins; however I think that she only has her family's best interests at heart. Mrs Bennet knows that her estate is entailed to Mr Collins; If Elizabeth married him it would ensure a comfortable financial situation for her and her family once her husband had died. When Mrs Bennet finally left, Elizabeth was left alone with Mr Collins, and in his usual manner he launched into his proposal, 'Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty, so far from doing you any disservice, rather adds to your other perfections. You would have been less amiable in my eyes had there not been this little unw... ... middle of paper ... ... woman 'should behave'. Women were 'supposed' to be meek, gentle and passive creatures, which is everything opposite to how lizzy behaves during both of these proposals. Both of these refusals would have been surprising replies to two very eligible men. As a reader I never had any doubt that Lizzy would refuse any proposal from Mr Collins, however I can see the sense of the times in marrying for financial gain considering women's rights and constraints. The two proposals are different in the fact that one could never be accepted and the other would be sensible financially. However, I think that they are both very similar in the way that neither emphasises their love or admiration of Elizabeth, but merely highlights her and her family's social position and ends up insulting he far more than the compliment of a proposal.

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