Pride and Prejudice — Quotes

19 quotes — Appearance vs Reality with full 6-part analysis

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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

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

5
PROGRESS

“Till this moment I never knew myself”

ANAGNORISIS / EPIPHANIC MONOSYLLABLESBREVITY AS STRUCTURAL VOLTA

Elizabeth Bennet · 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

9
STAGNATE

“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me”

LITOTES / DAMNING UNDERSTATEMENTDRAMATIC IRONY / GENERATIVE INSULT

Mr Darcy · Chapter 3 (Meryton Ball)

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)

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

25
STAGNATE

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

UNRELIABLE TESTIMONYSATIRICAL VENTRILOQUISM

Lady Catherine de Bourgh (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)

30
STAGNATE

“He is just what a young man ought to be — sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I…”

PRESCRIPTIVE IDEALISATIONFOIL TO ELIZABETH

Jane Bennet · Chapter 4

31
STAGNATE

“I would wish not to be hasty in censuring any one; but I always speak what I thi…”

MODAL HEDGING / ETHICAL SYNTAXBALANCED ANTITHESIS

Jane Bennet · Chapter 4

32
STAGNATE

“We must not be so ready to fancy ourselves intentionally injured”

EPISTEMIC HUMILITY VS WILLED BLINDNESSAUSTEN'S DOUBLE-VOICED IRONY

Jane Bennet · Chapter 24

34
STAGNATE

“Oh! she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld!”

EXCLAMATORY IMPULSIVENESSFOIL TO DARCY

Mr Bingley · Chapter 3 (Meryton Ball)

35
STAGNATE

“I would not be so fastidious as you are... for a kingdom!”

AFFECTIONATE DIAGNOSISDRAMATIC IRONY OF THE OUTSIDER

Mr Bingley · Chapter 3 (Meryton Ball)

36
STAGNATE

“Whatever I do is done in a hurry... and therefore if I should resolve to quit Ne…”

DRAMATIC FORESHADOWINGCOMIC SELF-AWARENESS

Mr Bingley · Chapter 10