Jane Austen Quotes

Spring break

Taking a little break here while we finish up a redesign, which should be up soon.  Hoping for next week.  Stay tuned.

Exceeding proud

". . . she would never approve of it, I dare say. I shall have no fortune, and I fancy she is an exceeding proud woman."

Lucy, on the necessity of keeping her engagement to Edward a secret from his mother

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 22

More of evil Lucy

". . . I know he has the highest opinion in the world of all your family, and looks upon yourself and the other Miss Dashwoods quite as his own sisters."

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 22

Capable Edward

"Though you do not know him so well as me, Miss Dashwood, you must have seen enough of him to be sensible he is very capable of making a woman sincerely attached to him."

 . . . from evil Lucy, staking her claim

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 22

Such a sister-in-law

. . . she did not feel much delighted with the idea of such a sister-in-law.

When Elinor mistakenly thinks Lucy is attached to Edward's younger brother Robert

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 22

Ignorant and illiterate

Lucy was naturally clever; her remarks were often just and amusing; and as a companion for half an hour Elinor frequently found her agreeable; but her powers had received no aid from education: she was ignorant and illiterate; and her deficiency of all mental improvement, her want of information in the most common particulars, could not be concealed from Miss Dashwood, in spite of her constant endeavour to appear to advantage.

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 22

She wouldn't want your pity

Elinor saw, and pitied her . . .

Of Elinor working out Lucy Steele's true character

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 22

No danger of swooning

What felt Elinor at that moment? Astonishment, that would have been as painful as it was strong, had not an immediate disbelief of the assertion attended it. She turned towards Lucy in silent amazement, unable to divine the reason or object of such a declaration; and though her complexion varied, she stood firm in incredulity, and felt in no danger of an hysterical fit, or a swoon.

When Elinor hears of Lucy's engagement to Edward

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 22

Friendship and intimacy

And to be better acquainted therefore, Elinor soon found was their inevitable lot . . . and that kind of intimacy must be submitted to, which consists of sitting an hour or two together in the same room almost every day. Sir John could do no more; but he did not know that any more was required: to be together was, in his opinion, to be intimate . . .

Of Sir John's plan to get the Miss Steeles and the Miss Dashwoods together

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 21

Divided forever

"I have known myself to be divided from Edward for ever, without hearing one circumstance that could make me less desire the connection. Nothing has proved him unworthy; nor has anything declared him indifferent to me."

Elinor

Sense and Sensibility, v. 3, ch. 1

Isolation and grief

"I have had all this hanging on my mind, without being at liberty to speak of it to a single creature . . ."

Elinor Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility, v. 3, ch. 1

Self-knowledge (or not)

Such behaviour as this, so exactly the reverse of her own, appeared no more meritorious to Marianne, than her own had seemed faulty to her.

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 19

The idle rich

". . . there was no necessity for my having any profession at all . . ."

Edward Ferrars

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 19

Finding a calling

"We never could agree in our choice of a profession. I always preferred the church, as I still do. But that was not smart enough for my family. They recommended the army. That was a great deal too smart for me."

Edward Ferrars

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 19

Waiting...

She would have been glad to know when these difficulties were to cease, this opposition was to yield . . .

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 19

Elinor waiting for Mrs. Ferrars to give Edward his freedom

Other points

"But there are other points to be considered besides his inclination."

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 4

 (. . . Like his horrible mother.)  More of sensible Elinor

By no means

"I am by no means assured of his regard for me."

Elinor, re: Edward

Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 4

Elinor favors truth over imagination.

Imagination vs. truth

Marianne was astonished to find how much the imagination of her mother and herself had outstripped the truth.

Sense and Sensibility, volume 1, chapter 4

Quiet children

[Lucy Steele] " . . . for my part, I love to see children full of life and spirits; I cannot bear them if they are tame and quiet."

"I confess," replied Elinor, "that while I am at Barton Park, I never think of tame and quiet children with any abhorrence."

Sense and Sensibility, volume 1, chapter 21

Polite lies

Marianne was silent; it was impossible for her to say what she did not feel, however trivial the occasion; and upon Elinor therefore the whole task of telling lies when politeness required it, always fell.

Sense and Sensibility, volume 1, chapter 21