Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 14: Mr. Collins Praises Lady Catherine

Mr. Collins settles into life at Longbourn and wastes little time explaining the importance of his position and the generosity of his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. His admiration for her wealth, rank, and opinions dominates the evening conversation.In Chapter 14 of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Bennet quietly entertains himself by encouraging Mr. Collins to talk at length about Lady Catherine, her daughter, and his carefully prepared compliments. The result offers an increasingly comic portrait of Mr. Collins and his devotion to social status.Key topics:Mr. Collins’s admiration for Lady CatherineLady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughterMr. Bennet’s amusement with his cousinMr. Collins’s rehearsed complimentsStatus, flattery, and social hierarchy