What is Happiness?

After Elizabeth refuses Mr. Collins' proposal, Mrs. Bennet reacts very strangely. At least, she reacts strangely compared to my idea of how a "good" mother should have reacted. Mrs. Bennet declares "that Lizzy shall be brought to reason" (84). Mrs. Bennet tries to force Mr. Bennet to "come and make Lizzy marry Mr. Collins" (84). Mrs. Bennet's behavior shows her complete indifference towards her daughter's happiness. Mrs. Bennet is only concerned with her own status in society, and she wants Elizabeth to marry Mr. Collins so that Mrs. Bennet can have better connections (Lady Catherine). I think Mrs. Bennet's behavior as well as Charlotte's immediate acceptance of Collins' proposal "solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment" shows how little "love" means to the majority of society when Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice (93). Charlotte thinks her "chance of happiness...is as fair [with Mr. Collins] as most people can boast on entering the marriage state" because of his "connections" and "situation in life" (95). Maybe Mrs. Bennet and Charlotte think "happiness" is measured in money. Elizabeth thinks of happiness differently. She weighs the love factor more heavily, and that is why she rejected Collins. Also, Elizabeth does not desire Mr. Darcy at this point in the story. Mrs. Bennet also dislikes Darcy, but because she knows that he would not accept her daughters. I think if Mrs. Bennet saw even a small chance that Mr. Darcy would be willing to marry a Bennet, she would be very praising of him, as she was of Mr. Collins before he proposed to Charlotte. Elizabeth, however, is not going to like Mr. Darcy unless his personality improves.

I think Austen's diction regarding the Bennets' feelings towards Collins is hilarious. Mrs. Bennet is in a "most pitiable state" (99). She She finds it "inconvenient and exceedingly troublesome" that Collins is visiting her "while her health [is] so indifferent," although prior to his engagement with Charlotte, his visit was a "matter of pleasure" (98). Austen juxtaposes Mrs. Bennet's pessimistic self-pity with Mr. Bennet's sarcastic attitude towards Collins. He tells Mrs. Bennet to not "give way to such gloomy thoughts" as Collins inheriting the house, and to instead hope that Mr. Bennet "may be the survivor" (99). Mr. Bennet suggests that Collins could die before him, which he considers to be a more optimistic outlook than that of Mrs. Bennet. Austen characterizes Mr. and Mrs. Bennet through their attitudes towards Mr. Collins. Mrs. Bennet is selfish and whiny, while Mr. Bennet is sarcastic and clever. I find it funny how even Austen makes fun of Mrs. Bennet through sarcasm. She "was really in a most pitiable state" (99). Austen is being sarcastic, because nothing has even happened to Mrs. Bennet, she is just upset because Elizabeth refused to marry a retard.