On my previous blog, I said that Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice is very intense about obtaining spouses for her kids probably just because she is the mother of five unmarried daughters. But, I was wrong. After reading a few more chapters of the book, I realized that even young men could also be very needy for wives, not for their children like Mrs. Bennet's case, but for themselves.
Surprisingly, Mr. Collins comes up to Elizabeth one day and proposes to her for a marriage. Mrs. Bennet, being her usual self, wants her to accept the offer. Even though her own mom tells her that she wouldn't see her again if she were to reject Mr. Collins, Elizabeth still denies the proposal. Only after a while does Mr. Collins propose to Charlotte, Elizabeth's best friend. Unlike Elizabeth and her personality, she accepts. Mrs. Bennet, obviously, gets infuriated at this her daughter just lost a possible husband.
Who seems to be more intense, Mrs. Bennet or Mr. Collins (and when I say intense, I mean needing to marry someone just to feel secure and not taking much of love into account)? At first sight, one would say Mrs. Bennet. But, I disagree. If I really I had to pick, I'd pick Mr. Collins.
It is natural for a woman like Mrs. Bennet with five unmarried daughters to tend to worry about these factors. The success of her kids is the central focus of her life. Yes, she might cross the line at times, but that is more due to her personality. Mr. Bennet would probably worry about this too, but he has his rational thinking a bit straighter and doesn't care as much as she.
On the other hand, there's Mr. Collins. A gentleman like him could be focusing more on other things like stability of his wealth or family relations. But, no. He chooses to spend his valuable time looking for a wife. His actions would be clearly justifiable if he wanted to spend what is left of his life with someone that he loved and that loved him back. However, this is not the case. After getting rejected by Elizabeth, he just goes on to the next woman he finds and proposes to her. One would argue that his reason was that he didn't want to be alone throughout the future years, but I'd personally want to live with my family or friend than to live with someone I don't truly love. One could also argue that his reason is his desire to have a family (children) to carry on his bloodline (or something of the sort). Either way, he's treating marriage more like a business and using it as a tool to feel secure. Love is discarded.
I guess, in a way, Mr. Collins represents the impact that societal norms and loneliness have on single men and their feelings of desperation effected by them, just like Mrs. Bennet's exaggerated representation of the anxiety that women might carry around. Still, people today usually don't act like this. But who am I to judge? There might be a Mr. Collins or a Mrs. Bennet in all of us, whether it be written all over our actions, or hidden somewhere deep beneath a dark hole. It's still there.
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