Pride and Prejudice · Chapter
Chapter XIII explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Bennet reveals that his cousin, Mr. Collins, will be visiting Longbourn. Mr. Collins, the heir to the Bennet estate due to entailment, writes a pompous letter announcing his visit. He arrives and pays extravagant compliments to the family, particularly Mrs. Bennet, while discussing the entailment and his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Status
Mr. Collins's obsequiousness toward Lady Catherine de Bourgh and his concern with the entailment highlight the importance of social hierarchy and property.
Family and Duty
Mr. Collins's letter frames his visit as a duty to heal the family breach, while Mrs. Bennet's anxiety reflects her duty to secure her daughters' futures.
Reputation and Appearance
Mr. Collins's formal manners and compliments are a performance of politeness, masking the harsh reality of the entailment.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Bennet
Reveals Mr. Collins's letter and anticipates his visit with amusement.
- Mrs. Bennet
Initially distressed by the entailment, but softened by Mr. Collins's letter and compliments.
- Mr. Collins
The pompous and formal cousin who visits Longbourn, apologizing for the entailment and praising the family.
- Elizabeth Bennet
Finds Mr. Collins odd and pompous, noting his deference to Lady Catherine.
- Jane Bennet
Attempts to explain the entail to Mrs. Bennet and finds Mr. Collins's wish to make amends creditable.
- Lydia Bennet
Uninterested in Mr. Collins because he does not wear a scarlet coat.
Key passages
“I am very sensible, madam, of the hardship to my fair cousins—and could say much on the subject, but that I am cautious of appearing forward and precipitate.”
I understand the difficulty this entailment causes your daughters, but I do not wish to seem presumptuous by discussing it too much.
Mr. Collins acknowledges the entailment's impact on the Bennet sisters while maintaining his formal demeanor.
“He must be an oddity, I think. I cannot make him out. There is something very pompous in his style.”
He seems peculiar and hard to understand; his manner of writing is overly self-important.
Elizabeth expresses her skepticism about Mr. Collins's character after reading his letter.