Pride and Prejudice Marriage Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

"My situation in life, my connections with the family of de Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, are circumstances highly in my favour; and you should take it into further consideration, that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications. As I must therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall choose to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females." (19.17)

It is literally impossible for us to understand why Mr. Collins' helpful pro-con list didn't convince Lizzy to marry him immediately.

Quote #5

"Pardon me for interrupting you, madam," cried Mr. Collins; "but if she is really headstrong and foolish, I know not whether she would altogether be a very desirable wife to a man in my situation, who naturally looks for happiness in the marriage state. If therefore she actually persists in rejecting my suit, perhaps it were better not to force her into accepting me, because if liable to such defects of temper, she could not contribute much to my felicity." (20.4)

Notice how it's all about Mr. Collins' felicity, and not about his prospective wife's? Yeah. Good luck with that, Charlotte.

Quote #6

This was very amiable, but Charlotte's kindness extended farther than Elizabeth had any conception of; its object was nothing else than to secure her from any return of Mr. Collins' addresses, by engaging them towards herself. (22.1)

Apparently the rule about not marrying your best friend's ex didn't apply in the nineteenth century. To be fair, Elizabeth assumes that no one could possibly want to marry Mr. Collins. You might even say she's too prejudiced to see it.