P&P Ch. 3-6

1) "'I am inclined to think that her own disposition must be naturally bad, or she could not be guilty of such an enormity, at so early an age...[Lady Catherine and her daughter] agree with me in apprehending that this false step in one daughter, will be injurious to the fortunes of all the others, for who, as lady Catherine herself condescendingly says, will connect themselves with such a family...Let me advise you then, my dear Sir, to console yourself as much as possible, to throw off your unworthy child from your affection for ever, and leave her to reap the fruits of her own heinous offence'" (Austen 225).

Mr. Collins has never been a fan favorite, and his letter in the reading cannot help that image. We usually picture Mr. Collins as the nerdy little awkward kid in school, the one that thinks he is great when he really is not. In this letter, however, he turns very harsh. He's basically saying that running off with Wickham is all Lydia's fault, without room for any factors that may contribute to the situation. No; it was absolutely Lydia's fault. He doesn't think that people her age are capable of mistakes, and that she did it willfully of her own malicious volition. He probably does not need to point out the fact that this will affect the entire family and the daughters, but Collins', being the loyal lapdog that he is, simply MUST relate Lady Catherine's 'Captain Obvious' point-of-view. Finally, he suggests shunning Lydia and letting her live on her own after what happened. This seems far too intense a statement for his character. Yes, Lydia did do something wrong that she should not have done, be it intentionally or unintentionally, but that is no reason to remove her from the family.

2) "'What, is he coming home, and without poor Lydia!' she cried. 'Sure he will not leave London before he has found them. Who is to fight Wickham, and make him marry her, if he comes away?'" (226).

This struck me as odd, considering Mrs. Bennet was the one that wanted Mr. Bennet to come home as quickly as possible to calm her nerves. This is a perfect passage that exemplifies Mrs. Bennet as a very manipulative character. She began only wanting Mr. Bennet to return from his search in London. while doing so, she tried to get everyone to focus on herself instead of what was really going on. Then, when Mr. Gardiner leaves to help the search, she gives him a laundry list of things to do that are almost idyllic in their dramatic simplicity. Most significant of all, she wants Mr. Bennet to come home so he will not have to duel Wickham. No, she finds out Mr. Bennet is returning home, and she argues against everything she has ever said on the matter. She is an instigator, and causes drama left and right all for her own enjoyment.