D.W. Harding paragraph: Is Mr. Collins funny or a nightmare?

D.W. Harding's idea that Mr. Collins is both a comical and a frightening character is accurate. Mr. Collins' annoying attributes are hyperbolized in Pride and Prejudice to the point where he is laughed at by the reader. To see a character that is so preposterously annoying is a funny thing when that character's antics cause so much frustration on the part of other characters in the novel. The area where Mr. Collins turns into a frightening character is when he attempts to exercise power over Elizabeth as mentioned by D.W. Harding in the quote,"economic and social institutions have such power over the values of personal relationships that the comic monster is nearly able to get her" (Harding 298). The scene in which Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth is both funny because of the fact that Mr. Collins is oblivious to his negative effect on Elizabeth and tries to make the proposal seem generous, something that Elizabeth is offended by. The frightening aspect of the scene is the fact that Elizabeth might indeed be trapped in a miserable marriage because of the fact that she is socially inferior and therefore doesn't have an equal say in her own future. The oblivious nature of Mr. Collins is funny for the reader, but terrifying for both Elizabeth and any readers who might find themselves in similar situations.