We are introduced to one of Austen's most delightfully buffoonish characters - Mr. Collins. Marked by a profound deficiency of sense and an excessive (if unfounded) self-importance, Mr. Collins seeks to forge a reconciliation with the Longbourn family by courting one of the Bennet sisters. His clumsy pursuit of Jane, and the eventual shift in his affections towards Elizabeth, mark yet another entanglement in the web of romantic match-making that Austen so deftly weaves.
Throughout this chapter we see Elizabeth's growing distaste for the presumptuous clergyman, even as her cunning mother manoeuvres with skill to trap him in matrimony. Meanwhile, our fiery Lydia's schemes to spend time with the objectionable officers of Meryton provide a diverting backdrop to the main events.
We are also introduced to the intriguing character of Mr. Wickham, who skilfully beguiles the company with his allure and an unexpected link to the severe Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth's curiosity is piqued, her fascination heightened - she begins to venture into the muddy waters of Wickham's personal history with the Darcy family which is fraught with discord and resentment.
Of course, we must not forget that amidst these romantic entanglements, the ever-tenacious Mrs. Bennet holds fast to her principal agenda - marrying off her darling daughters. One wonders, and with great anticipation, how these connections, these flirtations and these potential matches might manifest in the chapters to come.
