Question 125·Medium·Command of Evidence
Pride and Prejudice is an 1813 novel by Jane Austen. In the story, it is suggested that Mr. Collins is both excessively flattering toward Lady Catherine de Bourgh and openly proud of his connection to her, as is evident when he says ______.
Which quotation from Pride and Prejudice most effectively illustrates this claim?
For questions that ask which quotation best supports a specific claim, first restate the key parts of the claim in your own words (here: he both flatters her too much and brags about his special connection). Then, check each option against all parts of the claim, quickly eliminating any line that shows only one part. Among the remaining choices, pick the one that most directly and strongly illustrates everything the question describes in a single sentence.
Hints
Restate the two key ideas
Underline the words "excessively flattering" and "openly proud of his connection to her" in the question. You need a quotation where Mr. Collins both praises Lady Catherine in an over-the-top way and brags about how special his relationship with her is.
Scan each option for both elements
For each answer choice, quickly ask: (1) Is he strongly praising Lady Catherine herself? (2) Is he clearly proud of some special treatment or status he has because of her?
Eliminate partial matches
If a choice shows only flattery without him bragging about his own status, or only pride in his status without much praise of Lady Catherine, cross it out. The correct answer must clearly show both.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking for
The question says Mr. Collins is both:
- Excessively flattering toward Lady Catherine (he praises her in an over-the-top way), and
- Openly proud of his connection to her (he brags about how special his relationship with her is).
You need one quotation that clearly shows both of these at the same time.
Check choice A for both flattery and pride
Choice A says Lady Catherine is "all affability and condescension" and praises her for showing "the true refinement of her nature."
- This is strong flattery: he calls her extremely kind and refined.
- But it does not show him bragging about his own status or about a special favor he receives.
So A shows flattery, but not clear pride in his connection to her.
Check choices B and C for both traits
Now look at B and C:
- Choice B: He says the distinction of being her protégé "elevates" him above many of his equals. This shows he is proud of his connection to her (he thinks it makes him better than others), but it does not contain very strong, over-the-top praise of Lady Catherine herself.
- Choice C: He says her judgments are "unerring" and that it would be "presumptuous" to question them. This is very strong flattery of her wisdom, but he is not bragging about any special treatment or his personal connection.
So B is mainly pride without heavy flattery, and C is heavy flattery without clear pride in his connection.
Find the choice that has both over-the-top praise and pride
The remaining option is choice D, where Mr. Collins says, "I have the honour of dining at Rosings twice a week; such a mark of favour from Lady Catherine de Bourgh is, I assure you, the very pinnacle of happiness."
- He calls dining there a great "honour" and the "very pinnacle of happiness," which is excessive flattery because he treats a simple dinner as the greatest possible joy.
- He calls it a "mark of favour" from Lady Catherine, clearly showing pride that she singles him out to dine with her so often.
Because it strongly shows both over-the-top praise and pride in his special connection to her, choice D is the best answer.