quotes

• Wickham's "affections for her soon sunk into indifference"


  Their marriage gradually disintegrated leading Lydia to become a regular visitor at her two elder sister's homes
• Mr Bennet was "captivated by youth and beauty"


  Mrs Bennet's "weak understanding and illiberal mind"
• Jane and Bingleys relationship passes a "general similarity of feeling and taste"


  Lacks the excitement of Darcy and Lizzy's marriage
• Mrs Bennet's obsession with her daughters getting married


  "the business of her life" reflecting her transactional attitude towards marriage
• "it's a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife": 'Ironic opening showing societal pressure in endorsing the economic advantages of marriage and presents marriage as an arduous task for the man despite the book being in favour of the strengths women faced in the 19th century. 'must' implies Austen wants to emphasise the them in a mannerism which comes across as satirical.'
• "all this she must possess…and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading": 'Contributes to the novels critique of gender roles by highlighting the wide-ranging expectations of women, "all this" emphasised that a woman is expected to possess a range of qualities beyond appearance. It also implies that a woman's worth is measured by her ability to meet these expectations, women were often judged based on a set of prescribed qualities.'
• "Miss Bennet I am shocked and astonished. I expected to find a more reasonable young woman. But do not deceive yourself into the belief that I will ever recede": 'Lady C is attempting to assert her authority with the expectation that Elizabeth must be submissive as she will not back down, Elizabeth challenges her superiority by not becoming intimidated.'
• "one has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it": 'Austen suggests that some reputations are given to those who do not deserve them, Darcy seemed unpleasant but proved to be sincere, the charming Wickham was revealed to be a scoundrel.'
• "He is a gentleman, I am a gentleman's daughter, so far we are equal…../ But who was your mother?": 'Lizzy is part of the landed gentry, LC believes she would 'pollute' the bloodline and has no regard for Darcy's "honour or credit" however despite being of an inferior rank she dominates the conversation to 'drown out' LC's unfair desires.'
• Told using free indirect speech to show the novel through Elizabeth's views (with feminist undertones), "she had a lively, playful disposition" suggests Austen will use Lizzy to express her views because women were expected to be "quiet and gentle"
• "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me": 'The italics on the personal pronoun "me" suggests he is only concerned about himself and his own reputation showing how pride can damage love as Darcy and Elizabeth have to overcome their pride by helping each other see their respective failings.'
• "you are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room": 'The use of "only" shows his prejudice as it implies he has already judge the women in the room and has decided that none of them are worthy of dancing with him, showing his proud nature.'
• "there is not another woman in the room whom it would be a punishment to me to stand up with": 'Austen uses Darcy to highlight the impact of the class system on the upper-class' opinions, "punishment" suggests it will hurt him socially to mix with the lower classes.'
• "could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections": 'Highlights the internal conflict between societal expectations and personal feelings, it's ironic as he has fallen in love with Elizabeth despite his disdain for her 'connections', his pride about social class caused him to struggle against his feeling for Elizabeth as he feels ashamed of the Bennet family's rank'
• "i only ask a comfortable home; and considering Mr Collin's character, connections, and situation of life..": 'Charlottes marriage of convenience is loveless and Mr Collins is presented as an absurd caricature whose insincere attempts at roman and flattery and ridiculed, their marriage for financial security reflects the limited options available to unmarried, older genteel women.'
• "i am not a romantic, you know; i never was": 'Charlotte reflects a pragmatic and practical view of marriage whereas Elizabeth represents a more idealistic and romantic perspective on marriage.'
• "when she is secure of him, there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses": 'Charlottes advises Jane to strategically capture Bingley's attention highlighting a pragmatic approach to courtship and the importance of securing a suitable match, which reflects the pressure that women were under and how a woman's success was connected to her marital choices through the use of "secure of him" highlighting the tension between realism and idealism.'
• Despite his marriage being a marriage of convenience, Mr collins and Charlotte are the only couple to have an "expectation of a young olive branch"
• "Lady Catherine will not think the worse of you for being simply dressed. She likes to have the distinction of rank preserved.": 'Foreshadows the conflict between Elizabeth and Lady C on social rankings, Lady C values distinctions in the ranks.'