Publication N°5 : Jane Austen and Hypocrisy
Religious
hypocrisy in Austen's novels:
In Pride and
Prejudice as well as in Sense and
Sensibility, Austen depicts another kind of hypocrisy one can find in
society, religious hypocrisy.
Mr.
Collins is a fair depiction of religious hypocrisy. Mr. Collins belongs to the
church, as he is a clergyman, a man of God. Yet, through the description of his
characters and the obsession he has with Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the reader
understands that Mr. Collins gives more attention to his patroness than he does
to God. This is a first hypocrite behavior, as it is clear for the reader that
his love for God is not as important as it should be for a man of God, as he
prefers the social rank of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Further in the novel, Mr.
Collins depicts a behaviour that is contrary to what is expected from a
clergyman. When he proposes to Elizabeth, he mentions his position and
connections, which should not have any importance for him, as superficiality is
punished by God, as Luke said in the New Testament (verse 12:15) “one's life
does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”[1]
Yet, for Mr. Collins, the value of material things is important:
Mr. Collins expected the scene to inspire, and was but
slightly affected by his enumeration of the windows in front of the house, and
his relation of what the glazing altogether had originally cost Sir Lewis de
Bourgh. [2]
Mr. Collins’s behavior is not following the precepts written in the
bible, the precepts he speaks of at church. The character of Mr. Collins is a
hypocrite because of his contradictory behavior concerning the precepts of God,
and the material life and wish to climb the social ladder he lives. Through
this depiction, Austen points out to the reader that everyone has flaws, and
that even people following the Commandments of the Bible can be hypocrites.
Leading a life devoid of material things is not possible for everyone, and
hypocrisy can be found even when people are supposed to depict an exemplary
attitude.
Temptation is everywhere, and Mr. Collins has fallen into the trap of
social ladder climbing, as he rather worships Lady Catherine de Bourgh rather
than God. Ali Albashir Mohammed Al-Haj describes Austen’s societal criticism
as: “seldom satirical but her satire is
always gentle, seldom, severe and never savage. She brilliantly uses irony in
social comedies.”[3]
It is through the use of irony that Austen underlines the religious
hypocrisy of Mr. Collins. Further in the novel, after the news of the elopement
of Lydia and Wickham is known by everyone, Mr. Collins writes a letter to Mr.
Bennet: “You ought certainly to forgive
them, as a Christian, but never to admit them in your sight, or allow their
names to be mentioned in your hearing.”[4]
Through this quote, Austen underlines the hypocrisy which is at the core of the
character of Mr. Collins, with a humoristic description of what a clergyman, a
man preaching the values of God, thinks of forgiveness. There is a notion of
double, of opposition, of irony in this quote, as the forgiveness he speaks of
is not forgiveness at all. With the use of the humorous and ironic character of
Mr. Collins, Austen underlines the hypocrisy that can reign in the religious
milieu, especially towards those who are spreading the words of God. Austen
wants to show her reader that hypocrisy can be found in every milieu.
The
character of Mr. Collins can be contrasted with the character of Edward Ferrars
in Sense and Sensibility. Edward
Ferrars aspires to have his own parsonage, with tranquil life. Yet, he does not
truly apply the values of God as he should do. He keeps his engagement, but he
concealed the truth, and if it were not for the character of Lucy Steele, the
reader could have wondered if Elinor would have known of his engagement to
Lucy.
One of his lies is about a lock of hair: “"I never saw you wear a ring before,
Edward," she cried. "Is that Fanny's hair? (…) “Yes; it is my
sister's hair. The setting always casts a different shade on it, you
know."”[5]
It is later revealed that the lock of hair belongs to Lucy Steele. The reader
understands that Edward Lied to protect Lucy Steele, but his lie gave false
hope to the protagonist, who is “mortified,
shocked, confounded.”[6]
when she learns the truth. It is written in the Old Testament: “Lying
lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his
delight”[7].
Edward Ferrars is not as hypocritical as Mr. Collins, but Austen still
made him use of lies, or lies by omission, which makes him a hypocrite towards
his religious faith. On the contrary to Mr. Collins, the reader sympathizes
with Edward, as he is engaged with a sour and hypocritical woman, who use
openly her hypocrisy when the reader understands that Edward has no real
choice. Austen depicts hypocrisy that cannot be avoided by some people to
protect somebody from social ruin. The two characters
of Mr. Collins and Edward Ferrars are different people, with different
principles of life. Mr. Collins is more satirized by Austen, as she made him a
foolish and narrow-minded character, whose occupation of clergyman does not
make him truly share the real values of God. Edward, on the other hand, is a
hypocrite towards the precepts of God but not to protect himself, even if he
hurt people along the way. Austen depicts the religious hypocrisy living in
everyone, but some are more forgivable than others.
[1] Bible Gateway. “Bible Gateway Passage: Luke 12:15 -
English Standard Version”.
[2] Austen, Jane. “Pride and
Prejudice”. p.113
[3] Al-Haj, Ali. “The Concept of
Selfishness in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice”
[4] Austen, Jane. “Pride and Prejudice”. p.255
[6] Austen,
Jane. “Sense and Sensibility”. p.121
[7] Bible Gateway. “Bible Gateway Passage: Proverbs 12:22
- English Standard Version”
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