I posted my thoughts on Charlotte's choice earlier, but you, Carolyn, have, with your quotes, made my statement clearer: Charlotte did the right thing. Elizabeth was shocked by her choice of Mr. Collins because Elizabeth did not understand Charlotte as well as she thought she did, and she and Charlotte did not have the same values. Charlotte, on the other hand, was able to see what she wanted, and with her self-knowledge, able to know that she could attain it.