Pride and Prejudice Gender Quotes

single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife - Jane Austen quote

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 1. The opening sentence of Jane Austen’s comedy of manners is without question one of the most famous and best known first lines in literature. Its masterful ironic style and humorous tone are foreshadowing of the sparkling humor and irony to be found throughout the classic novel. It introduces us to four important themes: marriage, love, money and class. The satirical view Austin takes of her characters and of marriage in the Regency period is established. The memorable first line also signals the classic novel’s treatment of men as commodities and prized possessions for single women. It is a good example of verbal irony as women in the late 18th century were far more dependent on their husbands, than vice versa. In fact rich bachelors Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy are not at all searching for a wife, the situation is totally opposite, as we very quickly learn. Austen was only 21 years old when she wrote Pride and Prejudice. It is one of six major novels which earns her a deserved reputation as master ironist and supreme pioneer of comedy. First published anonymously in 1813 when it wasn’t deemed ladylike to pursue a career in writing, it remains one of the world’s most popular novels more than two hundred years later.
A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year - Mrs. Bennet

A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 1. Mrs. Bennet defines Charles Bingley as "a fine thing for our girls." It is the only thing on her mind when she learns of their new rich and single neighbor. To her Bingley is a commodity or piece of property: a potential husband to be snared for one of her five single daughters! It seems that no self-respecting wealthy bachelor is safe from the husband-hunting Mrs. Bennet!

"But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood."
"It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come, since you will not visit them."
"Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 1. Young single men are not safe when Mrs. Bennet is around. Their bachelor status is in great jeopardy from the mother of five eligible daughters, who is obsessed with finding husbands for them. But before that can happen the father Mr. Bennet needs to call on a potential husband and make the first move. In this exchange Mr. Bennet teases Mrs. Bennet, promising that if twenty young and wealthy bachelors move into the area he will visit them all. But his tone is ironic, for he doesn’t commit to visiting any less than that number, and Mrs. Bennet is still trying to persuade him to call on one such bachelor Mr. Bingley.

But that is one great difference between us. Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 4. Elizabeth makes this comment to Jane, who has said that she was flattered by Charles Bingley paying her the compliment of asking her to dance a second time. This shows how the outspoken Elizabeth is different from Jane and her other sisters. She doesn’t see herself as intellectually or socially inferior to men, but as an equal mind with her own independent voice.

It is sometimes a disadvantage to be so very guarded. If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him; and it will then be but poor consolation to believe the world equally in the dark. There is so much of gratitude or vanity in almost every attachment, that it is not safe to leave any to itself. We can all begin freely – a slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement. In nine cases out of ten a women had better show more affection than she feels.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6. Charlotte has a very pragmatic view of love, born of necessity from the patriarchal society that the women of the novel live in. If a woman remains single, especially one of modest means, then she could face an uncertain financial future. So Charlotte’s philosophy on love is that a woman must show more affection than she feels and use manipulation to get a husband. Charlotte is speaking to Elizabeth here about her sister Jane’s attraction to Charles Bingley, advising that Jane should not conceal her affection for Bingley but display it more openly to him.

When she is secure of him, there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6. Charlotte says this to Elizabeth, when advising how Jane should behave if she wishes to end up being married to Charles Bingley. Charlotte believes you don’t need to love someone in order to marry them. She feels Jane is being too reserved and should simply work at winning Bingley’s attention and getting him to marry her. There will be plenty of time for love after that, as much as she chooses. This is foreshadowing Charlotte’s later decision to marry, not for love, but for security and a home.

"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-deserved."
"All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 8. To be an accomplished woman, according to Caroline Bingley, one must be able to sing, play music, draw, dance, have a pleasant voice and graceful walk. Quite a tall order and indicative of the high expectations for 18th century women who wanted to get on in life. Mr. Darcy chips in say there is something even more important for such a woman: improving her mind by extensive reading.

I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 8. After hearing the high standards Darcy and Caroline Bingley require for an "accomplished" woman, Elizabeth gently pokes fun at them. The quick-witted Elizabeth is not afraid to challenge Darcy, saying she is surprised that he knows any accomplished woman because of the high standards and skills he expects. Here Austen is criticizing the level of expectations from women in her society as being unreasonable and unfair.

Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure if I had been you, I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 13. Mrs. Bennet cannot bear to hear Mr. Bennet mention the name of Mr. Collins. Collins is a reminder to the exasperated mother of five daughters of their inability to produce a son and keep their estate within the family. For Longbourn being under an entail means that only a male heir can inherit the estate, so in the event of Mr. Bennet’s death it goes to his cousin Mr. Collins.

I have often observed how little young ladies are interested by books of a serious stamp, though written solely for their benefit. It amazes me, I confess; for, certainly, there can be nothing so advantageous to them as instruction. But I will no longer importune my young cousin.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 14. After his meal with the Bennets, Mr. Collins insists on reading to the girls from a book of sermons and Lydia gets bored and interrupts him with gossip about the militia soldiers. The offended Collins abandons his reading, complaining about how little young ladies are interested in serious books written for their benefit.

Having now a good house and a very sufficient income, he intended to marry…he meant to choose one of the daughters, if he found them as handsome and amiable as they were represented by common report. This was his plan of amends – of atonement – for inheriting their father’s estate; and he thought it an excellent one, full of eligibility and suitableness, and excessively generous and disinterested on his own part.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 15. At a time when women’s legal access to property in England was limited, Mr. Collins is due to inherit Longbourn on the death of Mr. Bennet. Now that he has a good income and house, he decides that it is time to marry. Seeing himself as a fountain of generosity and kindness, he decides to choose one of the Bennet daughters to make amends to the family over the loss of their home. Austen is an expert at writing ironic statements and the tone throughout this passage is without doubt ironic, for Collins admires himself for sharing with one of the Bennet girls the wealth that he took from them in the first place. The description of the puffed-up clergyman celebrating his high-mindedness marks Austen out as the supreme satirist. Mr. Collins has no self-awareness of how ridiculous he is.

In spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made to you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 19. Mr. Collin’s proposal to Elizabeth is probably the most famous and worst marriage proposal in literature. And this passage would be hard to surpass for the top prize for the worst chat-up line ever! When Elizabeth politely turns him down, Mr. Collins comes back to tell her that she may never get another marriage offer – he, in effect, is her last chance saloon! He demeans her by insulting her (and all women) that her income is so little she will never get another chance of winning a husband. And this is how Mr. Collins asks for a woman’s hand in marriage? What arrogance and vanity! Mr. Collins obviously never went to charm school, he never felt the need to as he thinks so highly of himself!

"As I must therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall choose to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females."
"I do assure you, Sir, that I have no pretension whatever to that kind of elegance which consists in tormenting a respectable man. I would rather be paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank you again and again for the honour you have done me in your proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible. My feelings in every respect forbid it. Can I speak plainer? Do not consider me now as an elegant female, intending to plague you, but as a rational creature, speaking the truth from her heart."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 19. Elizabeth is trying to reinforce the message to Mr. Collins that she doesn’t wish to marry him, but he appears to be a little dense and mentally hard of hearing. The dumbfounded Collins does not believe that her rejection of his marriage proposal is at all serious. He ludicrously views it as the ploy of elegant females to keep a man in suspense and increase his love. Elizabeth assures him that her refusal is sincere.

To such perseverance in wilful self-deception, Elizabeth would make no reply, and immediately and in silence withdrew; determined, that if he persisted in considering her repeated refusals as flattering encouragement, to apply to her father, whose negative might be uttered in such a manner as must be decisive, and whose behaviour at least could not be mistaken for the affectation and coquetry of an elegant female.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 19. Elizabeth can no longer stay and listen to Mr. Collins’s "wilful" exercise in self-deceit as he refuses to accept her refusal to marry him. She leaves the room and determines that if Mr. Collins should persist, she will have her father give him the message. She believes that Mr. Bennet’s "no" won’t be mistaken for female pretension or flirtation.

If she is really headstrong and foolish, I know not whether she would altogether be a very desirable wife to a man in my situation, who naturally looks for happiness in the marriage state.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 20. This is an interesting comment made by Mr. Collins, as Mrs. Bennet attempts to assure him that Elizabeth "shall be brought to reason" and persuaded to accept his marriage proposal. Collins obviously doesn’t want a woman with a mind of her own like Elizabeth, but one who serves her man and his happiness. Austen is satirizing the view that woman should be passive and remain simply props and tools to serve a husband’s needs with no regard for their own. Elizabeth’s strong and independent personality does not fit the latter.

Oh! Mr. Bennet, you are wanted immediately; we are all in an uproar. You must come and make Lizzy marry Mr. Collins, for she vows she will not have him.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 20. The ridiculous Mrs. Bennet is satirized here as she reacts to Elizabeth’s rejection of Mr. Collins’s marriage offer. In her cry for help she appeals to the man of the house Mr. Bennet to use his fatherly authority and compel Elizabeth to marry Mr. Collins, despite her vowing she will not have him. Mrs. Bennet’s sole thought in life is to get her daughters married.

Stupid men are the only ones worth knowing after all.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 27. Elizabeth is being sarcastic and ironic here and doesn’t mean what she says. She is referring to Mr. Collins, a man who is stupid but whom she finds irritable and not the least attractive. Fed up with men and abandoned by George Wickam, she makes this comment to her aunt as she is about to visit the Collinses. This is the full quote of what Elizabeth says to Mrs. Gardiner: "Oh! if that is all, I have a very poor opinion of young men who live in Derbyshire; and their intimate friends who live in Hertfordshire are not much better. I am sick of them all. Thank Heaven! I am going to-morrow where I shall find a man who has not one agreeable quality, who has neither manner nor sense to recommend him. Stupid men are the only ones worth knowing, after all." To this her aunt reponds: "Take care, Lizzy; that speech savours strongly of disappointment."

"There can be no occasion for your going so soon. Mrs. Bennet could certainly spare you for another fortnight."
"But my father cannot. He wrote last week to hurry my return."
"Oh! your father of course may spare you, if your mother can. Daughters are never of so much consequence to a father."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 37. Elizabeth moves to depart the parsonage at Hunsford and Lady Catherine insists that she stay for another two weeks. When Elizabeth says her father cannot spare her, Lady Catherine dismisses this saying that that daughters are not important to fathers. It’s true that in Austen’s time daughters of landed gentry were regarded as "never of so much consequence" when it came to inheritence rights. The patriarchal system severely limited women’s access to legal ownership of property.

Far be it from me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures! They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. But I confess they would have no charms for me – I should infinitely prefer a book.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 39. Mary Bennet says this to fun-loving sister Lydia, who has been "enumerating the various pleasures of the morning" and is intent on going to Brighton to flirt with the campful of soldiers that will be there for the summer. Mary agrees that such pleasures are to most females’ liking, but she prefers to read.

You never will be able to make both of them good for anything. Take your choice, but you must be satisfied with only one. There is but such a quantity of merit between them; just enough to make one good sort of man; and of late it has been shifting about pretty much. For my part, I am inclined to believe it all Darcy’s; but you shall do as you choose.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 40. Elizabeth is discussing Wickham and Darcy with Jane. In typical Elizabeth wit when commenting on the goodness of men, she delivers the memorable line that between the two there is just enough merit to make one good man. Darcy is that man, she declares.

Her father, captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour, which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind, had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 42. Mr. Bennet married his wife because of her beautiful appearance. He did not see the extent of her foolishness before he wed her. It is clear that Mr. Bennet no longer has no real love for Mrs. Bennet. Their marriage serves as a health warning to those who rush into marriage for beauty and appearances alone.

Loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable; that one false step involves her in endless ruin; that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful; and that she cannot be too much guarded in her behaviour towards the undeserving of the other sex.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 47. The teenage tearaway of the Bennet family Lydia has run off with George Wickham. Her sister Mary draws what she believes is an important moral lesson from Lydia’s elopment. She speaks of the frailty of a woman’s reputation, warning her other sisters that once a woman loses her virtue it cannot be recovered. Here she is echoing how highly prized a woman’s virtue and moral reputation were at the time, if she aspired to have a decent life for herself and maintain the respect of society.
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