Pride and Prejudice - Chapters 19-20
At last, we are privy to the spectacle of a marriage proposal - an analytic transaction, methodically performed with no semblance of romantic fervour. This unusual proposition, extended by the boorish Mr. Collins to our beloved Elizabeth Bennet, is an exercise in awkward formality rather than a heartfelt expression of love. Of the several reasons Mr. Collins gives that Elizabeth should accept him, exactly none have to do with actually making Elizabeth herself happy. Disquieted yet determined,...