Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

complimentsf] as unstudied an air as possible," though he
admits to enjoying the work of putting them together(59).
Collins by nature is driven by his place in the strict
settlement system, and he spends a great deal of time
devising "compliments" that will help his position
further. He cannot have the daughter of Lady Catherine
de Bourgh, but he has flattered both. He moves to the
Bennet sisters, then on to Charlotte Lucas. The slow
descent down the social ladder is not haphazard; Collins
starts at the top and works down systematically. The
reaction of the women on all three rungs is typical
Austen humor: Lady Catherine de Bourgh doesnf t even
register the thought of Collins marrying her daughter,
telling Collins he should find a wife soon; Elizabeth and
Jane are amused and disgusted; Charlotte is flattered and
relieved finally to find a comfortable future. Collins's
settlement starts him down the ladder of success.
Mr. Wickham's World
Evelinafs Mr. Villars has a name that alerts the
reader to several possible character traits heralded
through his name. Mr. Villars may not have the character
of a villain, but he does have the character of a