Pride and Prejudice — Quotes

29 quotes with full 6-part analysis

1
STAGNATE

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a goo…

FREE INDIRECT DISCOURSE / IRONIC NARRATORIAL VOICEEPIGRAMMATIC STRUCTURE

Narrator · Chapter 1, Opening Line

2
PROGRESS

Your pride... his pride... for you are really proud of your defects in understan…

LEXICAL REPETITION / SEMANTIC REFRAMINGSUBVERSION OF PATERNAL AUTHORITY

Elizabeth · Volume 3, Chapter 15

3
STAGNATE

In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You…

SEMANTIC FIELD OF CONFLICT / MILITARY METAPHORSYNTACTIC FRAGMENTATION

Mr Darcy · Volume 2, Chapter 11 (First Proposal)

4
STAGNATE

You are mistaken, Mr Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration aff…

FORMAL REGISTER AS WEAPONPARALLELISM & ANTITHESIS

Elizabeth · Volume 2, Chapter 11 (First Proposal Refusal)

5
PROGRESS

Till this moment I never knew myself

ANAGNORISIS / EPIPHANIC MONOSYLLABLESBREVITY AS STRUCTURAL VOLTA

Elizabeth · Volume 2, Chapter 13 (After Darcy's letter)

6
STAGNATE

My good opinion once lost is lost for ever

EPIGRAM WITH ABSOLUTIST DICTIONDRAMATIC IRONY / PROLEPTIC REVERSAL

Mr Darcy · Volume 1, Chapter 11

7
STAGNATE

There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the wil…

DECLARATIVE SELF-CHARACTERISATIONPROLEPTIC IRONY

Elizabeth · Chapter 31

8
PROGRESS

You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I w…

SEMANTIC FIELD OF EDUCATIONPASSIVE VOICE AS SURRENDER

Mr Darcy · Chapter 58 (Second Proposal)

9
STAGNATE

She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me

LITOTES / DAMNING UNDERSTATEMENTDRAMATIC IRONY / GENERATIVE INSULT

Mr Darcy · Chapter 3 (Meryton Ball)

10
STAGNATE

A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing f…

ECONOMIC QUANTIFICATIONAUSTEN'S IRONIC FRAMING

Mrs Bennet · Chapter 1

11
STAGNATE

If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield, and all the…

EUPHEMISM & SEMANTIC EVASIONCONDITIONAL MOOD / MATERNAL WISH

Mrs Bennet · Chapter 3

12
STAGNATE

You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor nerves

HYPERBOLE & SOMATISATIONTHE BENNET MARRIAGE AS FOIL

Mrs Bennet · Chapter 1

13
STAGNATE

I am sure I cried for two days together when Colonel Miller's regiment went away…

HYPERBOLE & ARRESTED DEVELOPMENTAUSTEN'S INDIRECT FORESHADOWING

Mrs Bennet · Chapter 7

14
STAGNATE

For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in …

RHETORICAL QUESTION AS PHILOSOPHYIRONY AS EVASION

Mr Bennet · Chapter 57

15
PROGRESS

An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a str…

ANTITHETICAL PARALLELISMCOMIC INTERVENTION & POWER

Mr Bennet · Chapter 20

16
REGRESS

I am heartily ashamed of myself, Lizzy. But don't despair — it will pass, and no…

SELF-AWARE BATHOSTRAGIC IRONY BENEATH COMEDY

Mr Bennet · Chapter 48 (After Lydia's Elopement)

17
STAGNATE

Your mother will never be easy till she has exposed herself in every town in Eng…

HYPERBOLE & CONTEMPTMARITAL DYSFUNCTION AS SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Mr Bennet · Chapter 41

18
STAGNATE

You ought certainly to forgive them as a Christian, but never to admit them in y…

OXYMORONIC MORAL LOGICEPISTOLARY SATIRE

Mr Collins · Chapter 48 (Letter about Lydia)

19
STAGNATE

My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every cler…

ENUMERATION / CATALOGUE STRUCTUREDRAMATIC IRONY / COMIC BATHOS

Mr Collins · Chapter 19 (Proposal to Elizabeth)

20
STAGNATE

Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effec…

BACKHANDED COMPLIMENTAUSTEN'S SATIRICAL LENS

Mr Collins · Chapter 19

21
STAGNATE

Lady Catherine de Bourgh... has condescended to advise me to marry as soon as I …

DEFERENCE AS CHARACTER DEFININGCOMIC SATIRE OF PATRONAGE

Mr Collins · Chapter 19

22
STAGNATE

I have been used to have my opinion consulted in all matters. I am not in the ha…

IMPERATIVE ABSOLUTISMDRAMATIC IRONY — THE FAILED INTERVENTION

Lady Catherine · Chapter 56 (Confrontation with Elizabeth)

23
STAGNATE

Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?

METAPHOR OF CONTAMINATIONRHETORICAL QUESTION AS WEAPON

Lady Catherine · Chapter 56

24
REGRESS

I take no leave of you, Miss Bennet. I send no compliments to your mother. You d…

ANAPHORA OF NEGATIONCOMIC DEFLATION

Lady Catherine · Chapter 56

25
STAGNATE

She is a most charming young lady indeed. Lady Catherine herself says that in po…

UNRELIABLE TESTIMONYSATIRICAL VENTRILOQUISM

Lady Catherine (via Mr Collins) · Chapter 14

26
STAGNATE

Mr Darcy can please where he chooses. He does not want abilities. He can be a co…

STRATEGIC CONCESSIONUNRELIABLE NARRATOR DEVICE

Wickham · Chapter 16 (First conversation with Elizabeth)

27
STAGNATE

A military life is not what I was intended for, but circumstances have now made …

PASSIVE CONSTRUCTION AS SELF-EXCULPATIONVICTIM NARRATIVE

Wickham · Chapter 16

28
STAGNATE

Till I can forget his father, I can never defy or expose him

PERFORMATIVE CONTRADICTIONAUSTEN'S IRONIC FORESHADOWING

Wickham · Chapter 16

29
STAGNATE

I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle

THE EXCUSE WITHIN THE ADMISSIONCONTRAST WITH DARCY'S CONFESSION

Wickham · Chapter 52 (via Lydia's account)