Mary seemed sad when Charlotte married Mr. Collins
Did she love him? He was horrible, but she was a bit of an odd girl.
shareShe did. In fact, had he been less of a doofus, he would have recognized that Mary would have made a more suitable wife than Charlotte for him. Mary and Mr. Collins had a very similar (pedantic) nature, whereas Charlotte is more of a rebel, like Elizabeth.
At the end of the movie, you can even hear Mary read Fordyce's sermons to Kitty.
I sincerely beg to differ.
Mary was too much like Collins for that to be a good marriage. Charlotte was an excellent wife for him. She managed him beautifully. She ran his house beautifully. She listened to Lady C but still did her own thing.
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I sincerely beg to differ.
Mary was too much like Collins for that to be a good marriage. Charlotte was an excellent wife for him. She managed him beautifully. She ran his house beautifully. She listened to Lady C but still did her own thing.
Really? Interesting. I always got the impression — from the book, P&P95 and P&P05 — that Charlotte was unhappy in her marriage, and that the thing that Austen, Langton, and Wright had in common is that they show us that lingering unhappiness. (I think Wright also mentions that in his commentary, but am not sure.)
In fact, I agree with the analysis presented here http://bitly.com/22oKdgK and think that the most important sentence in the novel is not the first one, but this statement by Charlotte to Elizabeth, "If [Jane] were married to [Mr. Bingley] to-morrow, I should think she had as good a chance of happiness as if she were to be studying his character for a twelve-month. Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.”
The whole novel is an analysis, and ultimately a refutation of that statement, as shown in both the relationship between Charlotte and Mr. Collins and the one between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.
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I'm typing this on a tablet so it's not easy to copy and paste, but Charlotte is not unhappy in her marriage. She tells Elizabeth that point-blank.
Charlotte is not romantic, and she got exactly what she wanted - her own home. She is no longer a burden to her parents and will not be a burden to her brothers. She will be married to the next master of Longbourn and her daughters will not be without dowries because she will not spend all of the family's money.
Also, most people back then didn't marry for love. Marriage was practical, and Charlotte was nothing if not practical.
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Charlotte is not unhappy in her marriage. She tells Elizabeth that point-blank.
Of course she says that. Most of us do when we make a mistake. Give it a few years.
Charlotte is not romantic, and she got exactly what she wanted - her own home. She is no longer a burden to her parents and will not be a burden to her brothers. She will be married to the next master of Longbourn and her daughters will not be without dowries because she will not spend all of the family's money.
All true; in fact, unlike Lydia, she was not a romantic fool. Charlotte made a safe decision. But safe is not the same as happy.
Also, most people back then didn't marry for love. Marriage was practical, and Charlotte was nothing if not practical.
But love towards your spouse comes in time as long as there's respect. What respect can Charlotte hope to develop for Mr. Collins? (Incidentally, Mr. Collins in P&P05 is more likable and tolerable than in the novel and P&P95, where he's an insufferable fool.)
Now, a few observations.
First, there's a reason because the heroine of the story is Elizabeth, not Charlotte. Elizabeth could have made the same safe choice as Charlotte when Darcy first proposed, but did not, and we like that about her. In fact, that is perhaps the primary reason that makes Elizabeth Bennet the ultimate female heroine in Western literature. It's not that safe is bad per se, but safety cannot be made the ultimate principle to guide our life.
Second, Austen's idea of marriage is a blend of sense and sensibility, romanticism and realism, feelings and pragmatism, heart and mind, character and money. The union between Darcy and Elizabeth works because it has all those elements. The union between Lydia and Wickham is exactly the opposite, that is why it's a recipe for disaster. The union between Charlotte and Mr. Collins is in between. It will last a lifetime, but it will never reach the fullness of Darcy and Elizabeth's union. Charlotte will have safety, for sure, but unlike Elizabeth, will never respect and admire her husband.
Finally, my initial comment was not about Charlotte, but about Mr. Collins. Although we can sympathize with Charlotte's predicament and motive for marrying Mr. Collins, it is Mr. Collins's who's clueless about his motive for marrying Charlotte, having gone through three prospects and two proposals in a matter of a few days. He married Charlotte because she made it clear to him that she was available, but had he done his homework, he would have realized that it was Mary Bennet who was the closest thing to his soulmate. share
I have read the book countless times and cannot be moved from my position that Mary is not the best possible wife for Mr. Collins.
As for the various adaptations, the 1995 Collins is, IMO, very different from the book's Collins. The 1995 Collins creeps me out completely. The Collins in the book is not creepy or oily. He's more of a socially awkward doofus who pays a little too much attention to what Lady Catherine says. As Jane Bennet tells us, he is not vicious, and he is respectable. The 1980 Mr. Collins is the one I see when I read the book. I think that the Collins from the 2003 modernization is also very good. But the 1995 Collins is my least favorite of any of the adaptations I've seen (and I've seen pretty much every single version available on video).
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he would have realized that it was Mary Bennet who was the closest thing to his soulmate.
I disagree. I don't think they would have been good for each other at all. share
I don't think Mary would be happy playing second fiddle to Lady Catherine and having her taste in music compared to people who don't even play.
shareWell, the book very strongly implies that Mary would have accepted Mr. Collins' proposal had it been offered to her, and even suggests Mrs Bennet may have started hoping for that as a backup plan.
Charlotte may have made a better wife for Collins in the sense that she wasn't as much like him as Mary was, but it was clear from her dialogue about being happy in her home because she hardly saw Collins that it wasn't a particularly passionate marriage.
That being said, Charlotte was not a romantic so she likely got everything she wanted and more so there's definitely happiness in that. Also, Mary was the most accomplished and most judgmental of the sisters so she might have pleased Lady Catherine more than Charlotte.
I'm so ugly...that's ok 'cause so are you.
It says she "might have been prevailed on to accept him" but that doesn't change my point that she wouldn't have been happy playing second fiddle to Lady Catherine or having her taste in music criticized. The book also says
She rated his abilities much higher than any of the others; there was a solidity in his reflections which often struck her, and though by no means so clever as herself, she thought that if encouraged to read and improve himself by such an example as hers, he might become a very agreeable companion.
IMO this wouldn't have happened. Charlotte doesn't expect him to improve but she manages him well and she isn't looking for approval. She doesn't mind kissing up to Lady Catherine for the sake of her husband's career. share
How is Charlotte a rebel?
shareI think the poster meant that she's more of a burden than a rebel. She's a burden to her parents like she explained in the movie. Once you've reached a certain age (in that time) and you're not married, then people tend to look down upon you. Sort of like a lost cause.
shareThe statement was, "Mary and Mr. Collins had a very similar (pedantic) nature, whereas Charlotte is more of a rebel, like Elizabeth."
That doesn't sound to me like the poster meant "more of a burden than a rebel."
At the end of the movie, you can even hear Mary read Fordyce's sermons to Kitty.
What a clever little detail, how sad to think she was still thinking about him and being inspired by him after all that time. Thanks for pointing it out.
I think regardless of who made the best match for Mr Collins emotionally, it would have been a very good match for Mary financially, and Mr. Collins's original idea that it's only fair that he marry one of the daughters in the house he is to inherit, seems right. It's a shame for Mrs. Bennet she wasn't a better judge of character - if she had been, she would have steered Mr Collins in Mary's direction right away after telling him to forget about Jane. share