Comments on: Comedy Meets Tragedy; Mr Collins and Charlotte Lucas

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:34:15 +0000

I tend to see Charlottes marriage as a representative of the norm, while the marriages of Elizabeth and Jane are much more extreme – that is why the book revolves around these two marriages. Most women (and men) married for practicality in those days, and it must have been rather tragic at times. I shudder when I think of being forced to go to bed with a man, that I have no warm feelings for, and I think most women had to endure a degree of that. I think it is a part of explaining the instant popularity of P&P – many men and women were probably dreaming of real love in the face of practicality. Today, we still dream of it, but the attraction is, like Amanda Price says, the order, beautiful world with it’s romantic rituals.

By: atoskity

atoskity — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:30:35 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly with Kate. Practicality is Charlotte’s key feature, and while no one who sympathizes with Elizabeth could stomach her with Mr. Collins, Charlotte is a different person, intelligent and eminently realistic. Had she not married Mr. Collins, it is hard to imagine that another opportunity would have arisen to save her from being a burden on her parents (who are not even as wealthy as the Bennets) and finding herself relegated to the social stigma of being a poor old spinster, much like Emma’s Miss Bates. Charlotte is pragmatic not only in her choice, but her attitude toward her choice. I’m sure a great deal of marriages were “socially respectable prostitution,” as we look back on them from our considerable historical distance.

By: Kate the Book Buff

Kate the Book Buff — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:11:14 +0000

I don’t really see Charlotte as tragic, because she doesn’t see herself as tragic. Some people really are way more practical that they are romantic; Charlotte is fine being married to Collins because she is practical. She only appears to be more of a tragic figure because romantic people are drawn to Austen, so it is difficult for us to recognize that others might be happy in a practical marriage.