Mr. Darcy first attempts to propose to Elizabeth in Hunsford Parsonage. He met her there while she was visiting the newly-wed Collins family. Darcy caught Elisabeth entirely by surprise. Thus, the girl rejects this proposal for many reasons.
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Elizabeth leaves for Kent to visit Charlotte and her husband, Mr. Collins. The house near Rosings is the residence of Lady Catherine de Burgh. Since Lady Catherine is Darcy’s aunt, Lizzie meets him there frequently. Darcy chooses the wrong moment to pop the question. On the same day, Elizabeth finds out a sad thing about him. Darcy is a reason for the break-up between Bingley and her sister. He crowns it all with the remark of her family’s low position. To make a proposal and express disdain at the same time? That’s tough. Elizabeth expectedly rejects him. She’s pointing out his pride, arrogance, and contempt for others’ feelings. She bitterly mentions his guilt of making Jane unhappy and Wickham – wrecked.
In a letter to Elisabeth, he justifies his actions towards Jane and Wickham. Seeing how wrong she was, Miss Bennet feels guilty for speaking so rudely to Darcy. However, one can understand the girl, as she hadn’t seen any sign of love from Darcy before. His behavior was determined by the morals and ethics of that time.
Jane Austen depicts a society where personal life was in the public domain. As a consequence, real feelings and emotions tended to remain secret. Darcy’s attempt to propose is an excellent example of repressed feelings coming out. This episode reveals Mr. Darcy’s genuine character. His pride appears to be a mask necessary to survive in his environment.
