The arrival of Mr. Collins brings the issue of the entail to the forefront and helps readers to understand Mrs. Bennet's obsession with getting her daughters married. She doesn't want her daughters to get married simply for the prestige and wealth it may bring them, although that has appeal. Instead, there is a more urgent force behind Mrs. Bennet's fixation on marriage — the entail. Because Mr. Bennet has no male heirs, upon his death his estate will go to Mr. Collins rather than to any of his daughters. Because Mr. Bennet has mismanaged his money, his wife and daughters will be nearly destitute when he dies, unless the Bennet girls marry. Consequently, Mrs. Bennet hopes for a wealthy husband for at least one of her daughters so not only that daughter will be cared for, but Mrs. Bennet and any unwed sisters will be provided for, as well.
One of the delights of reading Austen is witnessing her remarkable skill at shaping characters into unique individuals through the most commonplace actions or events. In these chapters, for example, the development of Darcy and Mr. Collins' characters is of especial interest. The personalities of both men are revealed through similar acts — letter writing, speaking, and reading — but while their activities are the same, the manner in which they engage in the activities varies with each man, thereby illustrating the differences in their personalities.
Before the advent of devices such as the telegraph or telephone, letter writing was a very important mode of communication, as demonstrated by the large number of letters and references to letters that occur in Pride and Prejudice. As Darcy and Bingley discuss, one's style of writing reflects that person's way of thinking. So it is natural for someone as impetuous and changeable as Bingley to write, as his sister describes, "in the most careless way imaginable. He leaves out half his words, and blots the rest."
