In one of Pride and Prejudice’s many ironic twists, Mr Collins, the most inherently absurd and hilarious of characters, marries the novel’s most tragic figure. Poor Charlotte does nothing to deserve what Lost in Austen’s Mr Bennet describes as the ‘Promethean misery of marriage to Collins.’ However, at 27 years old, ‘without having ever been [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Charlotte Lucas’
Marriage in Pride and Prejudice; Explaining Mrs Bennet’s Obsession
Marriage in Pride and Prejudice
In Pride and Prejudice, Mrs Bennet’s pursuit of advantageous marriages for her daughters is obsessive, unrelenting and often counter-productive. Mr. Bennet considers his wife’s schemes ridiculous, while Elizabeth has, of course, decided that she will marry only for love. Elizabeth, like the first-time reader of Pride and Prejudice, is shocked [...]