Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth is ironic because he really doesn't want to be in love with her. He loves her and proposes marriage to her, as Elizabeth says, "'against [his] will, against [his] reason, and even against [his] character.'" During his proposal, he spends a great deal of time discussing the fact that her family and social connections are dramatically inferior to his and that his marrying her is, in many ways, a "degradation" of...
Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth is ironic because he really doesn't want to be in love with her. He loves her and proposes marriage to her, as Elizabeth says, "'against [his] will, against [his] reason, and even against [his] character.'" During his proposal, he spends a great deal of time discussing the fact that her family and social connections are dramatically inferior to his and that his marrying her is, in many ways, a "degradation" of himself. These are not exactly the kinds of things a man typically says when he proposes to the woman he loves; explaining that she is beneath him in basically every way is hardly the way to win her favor or acceptance. Further, these aren't exactly the kinds of things a woman being proposed to wants to hear; Elizabeth feels insulted, even more so by Darcy's seeming confidence, notwithstanding his professions that he is apprehensive about her response. Therefore, his proposal is ironic because Darcy does the opposite of everything that a person hoping to gain the acceptance and love of another should do.
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