Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 14

Jane Austen · Mountaineers 10th–12th

Teaching Companion Print Adapt for your student

Copywork

The subject elevated him to more than usual solemnity of manner; and with a most important aspect he protested that he had never in his life witnessed such behaviour in a person of rank--such affability and condescension, as he had himself experienced from Lady Catherine. She had been graciously pleased to approve of both the discourses which he had already had the honour of preaching before her.

I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine, that her charming daughter seemed born to be a duchess; and that the most elevated rank, instead of giving her consequence, would be adorned by her. These are the kind of little things which please her Ladyship, and it is a sort of attention which I conceive myself peculiarly bound to pay.

Read both passages aloud. In the first, the narrator tells us what Mr. Collins said. In the second, he speaks for himself. Which words in the first passage sound like his own?

For the educator Two passages, four sentences: the narrator’s report of Mr. Collins’s praise of Lady Catherine, and the compliment he is proudest of, in his own words. The first sentence opens on a plain subject and verb, “The subject elevated him”, and then lets his manner into the narrator’s sentence: “more than usual solemnity”, “a most important aspect”, “protested”. After a semicolon and “and”, the clause runs to “such behaviour in a person of rank”, and after a dash (printed in this edition as two hyphens) renames that behaviour in his favourite pair, “such affability and condescension”. Condescension here is Austen’s sense: gracious kindness from a person of rank, praise and not an insult. The second sentence is his speech reported in his own style: “graciously pleased”, “the discourses” for his sermons, “had the honour of preaching”. The narrator never calls him pompous; she lets his words into her sentences and lets them speak. His own first sentence reports a compliment in two parallel clauses, each opening on “that”, joined after a semicolon by “and”. The second clause holds the figure: rank, which ought to give a person standing, is turned round so that the daughter would honour the rank (“instead of giving her consequence, would be adorned by her”). Consequence here is social standing, not a result. His second sentence names the habit: “These are the kind of little things” sets a plural verb beside “kind”, as the edition prints it; “conceive” means consider; and “bound to pay” makes a compliment a debt. For mechanics, notice the semicolons in both long sentences, the dash, the commas around “instead of giving her consequence”, and the capital in “her Ladyship”. For the talk prompt, listen for a student who hears “affability and condescension” as his words carried into the narrator’s sentence; one who hears “graciously pleased” and “had the honour”; and one who hears “a most important aspect” as the narrator’s own dry view of him, not his words at all. No answer may say what Lady Catherine is really like: every word of her here comes through Mr. Collins.

Discussion

Narration Tell the chapter back in a few sentences, from Mr. Bennet’s silence at dinner to the backgammon table. Then choose the one sentence you would keep if you could keep only one, and say why.

Mr. Bennet picks a subject where he expects his guest to “shine”. The narrator says he “could not have chosen better.” Who was it better for? Tone
Mr. Collins even praises Lady Catherine for making “not the smallest objection” to his visiting his relations. Why would he count that as a kindness? Inference
Mrs. Bennet asks if Miss de Bourgh is handsome. Mr. Collins’s own word for her is “charming”. On her beauty, he gives Lady Catherine’s opinion. Why use her word and not his own? Character
Mr. Bennet keeps a straight face and needs “no partner in his pleasure.” But now and then he glances at Elizabeth. What is the glance for? Character
Mrs. Bennet and her daughters apologize and beg Mr. Collins to go on. He says he bears Lydia “no ill-will”. Why does he go to play backgammon instead? Moral reasoning

Make a Connection Think of someone, in a story or in your own life, who was laughed at without knowing it. What did the laughing show about the person doing it?

Vocabulary

condescension: The subject elevated him to more than usual solemnity of manner; and with a most important aspect he protested that he had never in his life witnessed such behaviour in a person of rank--such affability and condescension, as he had himself experienced from Lady Catherine. In Austen’s day, a person of high rank treating someone of lower rank with gracious kindness: praise, not an insult (from Latin con-, with, and descendere, to come down). Mr. Collins pairs it with “affability” as the highest praise he can give Lady Catherine, and uses the verb twice more: she “condescended to advise him to marry”, and her daughter “condescends to drive by my humble abode”. The praise only works if one person stands far above the other, and Mr. Collins is glad to stand below.
consequence: I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine, that her charming daughter seemed born to be a duchess; and that the most elevated rank, instead of giving her consequence, would be adorned by her. Social importance or standing; a person of consequence is someone who matters in society. Here it does not mean a result. Mr. Collins tells Lady Catherine that the highest rank would not give her daughter consequence but “would be adorned by her”. The compliment turns the usual order round: the daughter would honour the title, not the title the daughter.

Critical thinking

Mr. Bennet tells Mr. Collins, “You judge very properly”. Is Mr. Bennet flattering Mr. Collins the way Mr. Collins flatters Lady Catherine?
Lydia gapes when Mr. Collins opens his book of sermons. He reads “with very monotonous solemnity” until she breaks in with gossip. Which of the two does the scene laugh at harder?
Mr. Collins admits that he prepares his compliments ahead of time but tries to make them sound unplanned. Can praise that is planned still be sincere?