试论夏洛蒂.卢卡斯与柯林斯婚姻的感性及其理

III. Characters of Charlotte and Mr. Collins

Through Pride and Prejudice, we find that Charlotte and Mr. Collins possess some good qualities. They have their own personal charm. Charlotte has good comprehensive ability. She is sincere, perseverant and spiritually independent. Her characters prove that she is a good girl and very sensible. She should not be criticized. Though Mr. Collins is a little bit stubborn and snobbish, he is humorous, responsible and very practical. He should not be criticized, either. Such persons’ characters will enable them to make rational choice of marriage.

3.1. Charlotte

Charlotte has her own personal charm. Her good comprehensive ability makes her hold her own viewpoint. Though Elizabeth does not have good attitudes toward her marriage, Charlotte still has good wishes for her friend. From this point, we see that Charlotte is sincere and generous. Charlotte still has a spirit of persistence   and independence, which makes her to stick to what she wants and try her best to get it.

3.1.1. Wit

Charlotte is clever and she has some good comprehensive ability. For example, when everyone considers Darcy to be too arrogant to be liked by anybody, Charlotte holds the view that “he has the right to be pride of himself” as he is handsome, has good personality and most importantly, he has large property. From this point, we see that Charlotte has her own ideas. She thinks independently. She also treats everybody and everything objectively. In Charlotte's opinion, the beginning of a love story is always casual, when a man shows his good feeling about a woman, if he can not get response from the woman, the man will feel discouraged and he may give up his pursue for the woman. Charlotte's idea is quite practical.⑷ Jane Bonnet’s love affair justified it. When Bingley shows his love for Jane, as he could not get response from Jane, then he is discouraged and he thinks that Jane has no good feeling for him. What is more, as Darcy interferes in their love affair, there is a love crisis between Jane and Bingley. On this point, we say that Charlotte is very clever and full of wisdom. In chapter 22, we know that Elizabeth is shocked by the severity of such a concession that Charlotte made to marry Collins. She could not suppose that Charlotte would sacrifice “every better feeling to worldly advantage"(end of chapter 22). Elizabeth pities Charlotte, but Charlotte “had chosen it with her eyes open".

“I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins’s character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.”(Chapter22)From her words, we know that Charlotte is quite independent in her mind. She has good comprehensive ability.

3.1.2. Sincerity and generosity

Charlotte is sincere and generous. She did not envy Jane and Bingley. 

"I wish Jane success with all my heart; and if she were married to him tomorrow, I should think she had as good a chance of happiness as if she were to be studying his character for a twelvemonth. Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” (Chapter 6)

“If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar before-hand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always contrive to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.”(Chapter6)

Though Elizabeth looks down upon Charlotte's marriage, Charlotte still wishes her friend happiness and success. She is so kind and generous. Another point is that she has great patience for Lady Catherine’s rampancy. Seen from female psychology, to achieve this patience is impossible without good self-cultivation. Therefore, Charlotte has achieved some good self-cultivation.

3.1.3. Persistence

Charlotte has the spirit of persistent. Superficially looking, her thirsty for property is not so noble. However, she clearly knows what she wants and how to get it. Compared with many other women, we see that she is very smart.⑸   There are many foolish women characters in Austen’s novels: Mary in Mansfield Park has no belief in life. She agreed to marry the one she does not like and finally eloped with her lover; Anne Elliot in Persuasion does not fully know herself. Under her mother’s persuasion, she lost seven years’ happiness; Emma in Emma does not know who she likes and has no idea of her own personality and psychology...Compared with these characters in Austen’s works, Charlotte is really very clever and possesses the spirit of persistence. When Mr. Collins was turned down by Elizabeth and asked for her hand, she accepted without hesitation. She was not afraid of being looked down upon by others and grasped the chance to change her life. Then through her marriage, she really got security and lived a quiet life. Her perseverance to make her life better is very admirable.转贴于 酷文网-论文下载中心 http://www.coolwen.net