Pride and Prejudice: Mr. Collins

Mr. Collins serves as a very interesting character that is the perfect example of vanity. Mr. Collins, though of lowly background, still is quick to look down upon others from his quickly gained position as a clergyman (usually a bought position at the time) under his much brown-nosed patroness. His constant name-dropping as well as constant mentioning of prices and quality that surround him are vain attempts to fluff his own feathers and be the cock of the henhouse. This lies in direct contrast with his supposedly “humble” position. There is not a pious bone in that man’s body. And yet, with anyone of great standing in society, whether they be noble or rich, he is quick to ingrate himself and downplay his lot in life as quickly as he is to augment it in the company of commoners. In this, Mr. Collins represents that person that the nobility seem to fear, the gold-digger so to speak. For example, Mrs. DeBourgh and other ladies in society fear that Elizabeth is such a person of lowly circumstance who is just trying to climb the social ladder through Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Collins is also a great sexist, the typical male visionary expected at the time. When he tries to read the sermons at the Bennett house but is interrupted by Lydia, he gives up on the women as interested in no useful knowledge, only their feminine trifles. Indeed, the women do seem rather dull and ditsy from a modern perspective, but Elizabeth has the wit beyond all of them. Besides being a novel of romance, Pride and Prejudice attempts to push some feminist ideals. While most women were a slab of meat to be purchased at the butchers shop, Elizabeth attracts Darcy with her off-the-wall personality and cleverness. She is not the greatest beauty in the world but, to him, that doesn’t matter. Darcy is the anti-Collins. Reserved where he is boastful. Genuine where he is false. Perceptive where he is, well, just plain stupid and tactless. Collins is the best character to highlight the pleasant qualities that Darcy has to show.