Characters: Mr Collins and Charlotte Lucas

How important is the character of Charlotte Lucas to the story? Charlotte Lucas plays a vital role in Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. Charlotte is the dear friend of Lizzy, and the choice she makes plays an important role in the impact between Lizzy and Darcy. Charlotte is viewed as very pragmatic and chooses to marry for comfort rather than for love, as Lizzy does. One of the techniques that Austen uses when writing about Charlotte Lucas is satire, as the character conforms to society’s view on marriage. Love to Charlotte is not the most vital aspect within a marriage and she believes that “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” The audience is positioned to understand that within Charlotte’s world, happiness is not always likely within a marriage and she acknowledges this by agreeing to marry Mr Collins, not for love, but for a comfortable home. Her role in the novel, allows the audience to view the contrast between Charlotte’s character and Lizzy Bennet’s character. How important is the character of Mr Collins to the story? Mr Collins is quite an important character in Pride and Prejudice, by the way that the author, Jane Austen allows the audience to view his character. Austen satirizes Mr Collins in positioning the readers to view him as a baboon who is too engrossed in Lady Catherine’s life and forgets his own morals and values. “I would advise you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is superior to the rest ...she likes to have the distinction of rank preserved" (137 Austen). He thinks very highly of Lady Catherine and degrades Lizzy by making himself appear ‘better’ than Lizzy. Austen satirizes Mr. Collins because people shouldn't demoralize themselves for the sake of people higher than them on the social ladder of society. This technique allows the audience to laugh at the ignorance of Mr Collins and stupidity, and is an important character as he emphasises the idea of social class in the novel.