Pride and Prejudice Class 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.
Bingley sisters in Pride and Prejudice

They were in fact very fine ladies; not deficient in good humour when they were pleased, nor in the power of being agreeable where they chose it, but proud and conceited. They were rather handsome, had been educated in one of the first private seminaries in town, had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds, were in the habit of spending more than they ought, and of associating with people of rank, and were therefore in every respect entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly of others. They were of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on their memories than that their brother’s fortune and their own had been acquired by trade.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 4. The narrator paints us a picture of the Bingley sisters Caroline and Louisa. We learn that they are rich, proud, conceited and like to associate with other people of equally high rank. We are told, with Austen’s penchant for irony, that they are "in every respect entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly of others" – which of course they are not entitled to.

"His pride," said Miss Lucas, "does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud."
"That is very true," replied Elizabeth, "and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 5. Charlotte Lucas and Elizabeth are discussing Mr. Darcy’s pride. Charlotte thinks that if you have everything going for you in life, including family and fortune, you have a right to be proud. However, Elizabeth accuses Darcy of mortifying her pride after overhearing him saying she was not "handsome enough."

Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6. Elizabeth may not have been handsome enough for Mr. Darcy to dance with at the Meryton ball, where he found her appearance just "tolerable." But now he sees Elizabeth in a new light as she and Jane spend more time with the residents of Netherfield. Observing Elizabeth close up, Darcy develops an attraction for her, despite having said earlier that she lacked the manners of his class. Now he finds himself drawn to her intelligent expression, her beautiful dark eyes, her pleasing figure and her playful personality. Darcy is mortified by his discovery, because it injures his pride – at the Meryton assembly he was "above his company, and above being pleased." Elizabeth is fully aware of his attentions, but to her he is still the disagreeable man who didn’t think she was attractive enough to dance with.

"There is nothing like dancing after all. I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished society."
"Certainly, sir; and it has the advantage also of being in vogue amongst the less polished societies of the world. Every savage can dance."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6. Sir William Lucas tries to engage Mr. Darcy about the pleasures and popularity of dancing. Sir William holds it up as one of the great examples of civilized society. But Darcy shows his dislike for the practice by saying sarcastically that "every savage can dance." Yet moments later Darcy unexpectedly changes his tune and wishes to dance with Elizabeth – this is an example of situational irony. Elizabeth refuses him point blank. She in turn uses verbal irony when she says, meaning the opposite: "Mr. Darcy is all politeness."

I have an excessive regard for Jane Bennet, she is really a very sweet girl, and I wish with all my heart she were well settled. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 8. Early on in the novel class conscious Caroline Bingley expresses her disapproval of any union between her brother Charles and Jane Bennet due to her low social status. She goes on after this passage to mock Jane’s lowly relations living in Cheapside.

Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody; and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 10. Although she does not know it yet, Elizabeth is showing the first signs of attraction to Darcy – "amazed at his gallantry." Darcy is also falling in love with Elizabeth but sees this as dangerous because he is a higher class than her. There is considerable irony going on in this scene, as Elizabeth has refused to dance with Darcy and expects him to be affronted. Instead he is gallant. He on the other hand is bewitched by her sweetness and archness, when she intended the very opposite – to cut him down to size. Darcy also thinks, were it not for her inferior connections, he might fall in love with her – which is exactly what is happening. Austen is satirizing the snobbery of the upper class and the class divide in the social awkwardness between Darcy and Elizabeth.

I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 11. Miss Bingley is watching Darcy read, so she pretends to be absorbed in reading the second volume of his book in an effort to start up a conversation with him. But she soon gets bored, yawns and throws the book aside. Her comment about how much she loves books is therefore ironic, as it is only a device to get Darcy’s attention. The quote is a good example of the gentle satirical fun Austen likes to poke at the social elite.

Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride – where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 11. When Elizabeth calls Mr. Darcy out on what she believes are his weaknesses, pride and vanity, he shows some self-awareness by actually acknowledging his defects. But he doesn’t see pride as a weakness where there is "superiority of mind" and it is properly controlled. That may sound arrogant, but he a point there.

To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence – Elizabeth had been at Netherfield long enough. She attracted him more than he liked – and Miss Bingley was uncivil to her, and more teasing than usual to himself. He wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration should now escape him, nothing that could elevate her with the hope of influencing his felicity; sensible that if such an idea had been suggested, his behavior during the last day must have material weight in confirming or crushing it. Steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoke ten words to her through the whole of Saturday, and though they were at one time left by themselves for half-an-hour, he adhered most conscientiously to his book, and would not even look at her.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 12. Poor Mr. Darcy, his heart has been drawing him towards Elizabeth during her stay at Netherfield, but his head is cautioning him that this is a bad idea. Darcy still hasn’t overcome his class prejudice against the low connections of the Bennets. So he is relieved when he hears that Elizabeth and Jane are soon to return home, he makes up his mind not to encourage Elizabeth for the remainder of her stay. He hardly speaks to her all day and when they are left alone briefly he buries himself in a book and ignores her. Darcy may be able to conceal but he cannot deny his strong attraction, for when Caroline Bingley is uncivil to Elizabeth his first instinct is to be protective of Elizabeth.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice

I have been so fortunate as to be distinguished by the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh…whose bounty and beneficence has preferred me to the valuable rectory of this parish, where it shall be my earnest endeavour to demean myself with grateful respect towards her Ladyship.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 13. Newly ordained clergyman Mr. Collins begins his letter to Mr. Bennet in groveling terms about his patron Lady Catherine de Bourgh. In Collins we see Jane Austen’s genius for comic satire at its best. He is presented as a ridiculous churchman more interested in living well in his "valuable" new position and kowtowing to his aristocratic benefactor, than in devoting his life to spiritual matters.

He begged to know to which of his fair cousins, the excellence of its cookery was owing. But here he was set right by Mrs. Bennet, who assured him with some asperity that they were very well able to keep a good cook, and that her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 13. An offended Mrs. Bennet puts Mr. Collins right when he asks which of her daughters was responsible for the excellent cooking. She interprets this as suggesting they were of the lower class and couldn’t afford a cook.

Her manners were dictatorial and insolent. She has the reputation of being remarkably sensible and clever; but I rather believe she derives part of her abilities from her rank and fortune, part from her authoritative manner, and the rest from the pride of her nephew, who chooses that every one connected with him should have an understanding of the first class.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 16. Charles Bingley is speaking to Elizabeth here about Lady Catherine. He sums up her character extremely accurately. There are many examples in the novel of her being authoritative and dictatorial with the other characters and using her rank and wealth to tell others what to do.

Indeed, Jane, you ought to believe me. No one who has ever seen you together can doubt his affection. Miss Bingley, I am sure, cannot. She is not such a simpleton. Could she have seen half as much love in Mr. Darcy for herself, she would have ordered her wedding clothes. But the case is this: We are not rich enough or grand enough for them.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 21. Elizabeth attempts to convince her sister Jane that Charles Bingley really loves her. She tells her that Caroline Bingley is trying to keep them apart because the Bennets are not wealthy enough or of high enough class.

They may wish many things besides his happiness; they may wish his increase of wealth and consequence; they may wish him to marry a girl who has all the importance of money, great connections, and pride.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 24. Elizabeth bluntly tells Jane that she believes the Bingley sisters played a role in manipulating their brother Charles to apparently abandon Jane. And their motivation, she suggests, was that they may wish him to marry someone with money and better social position.

Here, leading the way through every walk and cross walk, and scarcely allowing them an interval to utter the praises he asked for, every view was pointed out with a minuteness which left beauty entirely behind. He could number the fields in every direction, and could tell how many trees there were in the most distant clump. But of all the views which his garden, or which the country or kingdom could boast, none were to be compared with the prospect of Rosings, afforded by an opening in the trees that bordered the park nearly opposite the front of his house. It was a handsome modern building, well situated on rising ground.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 28. Elizabeth visits the parsonage home of Mr. Collins after his marriage to her friend Charlotte Lucas. Mr. Collins takes her on a tour of the place, showing off every feature of the garden and going into the minutest detail like how many trees he has. The garden has a view of Lady Catherine’s home of Rosings, described as being on "rising ground," suggesting the owner’s high social status compared to the Collinses.

Mr. Collins’s triumph, in consequence of this invitation, was complete. The power of displaying the grandeur of his patroness to his wondering visitors, and of letting them see her civility towards himself and his wife, was exactly what he had wished for; and that an opportunity of doing it should be given so soon, was such an instance of Lady Catherine’s condescension, as he knew not how to admire enough.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 29. A puffed-up Mr. Collins glories in the invitation to him and his party to dine with Lady Catherine de Bourgh at her home at Rosings. He cannot wait for the opportunity to show off the "graudeur" of his aristocratic patroness and her friendliness towards him and his wife. Mr. Collins is the stuff of satire, a clergyman full of his own vanity and obsessed with social rank and showing a fawning obsequiousness towards the upper class.

Do not make yourself uneasy, my dear cousin, about your apparel. Lady Catherine is far from requiring that elegance of dress in us which becomes herself and daughter. I would advise you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is superior to the rest…she likes to have the distinction of rank preserved.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 29. Mr. Collins tells Elizabeth this when they are invited to dine with Lady Catherine de Bourgh at Rosings. The ridiculous snobbery, vanity and obsession with social rank of both Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine are beautifully satirized in this passage where Mr. Collins suggests Elizabeth doesn’t have an elegant dress.

Her air was not conciliating, nor was her manner of receiving them such as to make her visitors forget their inferior rank. She was not rendered formidable by silence; but whatever she said was spoken in so authoritative a tone, as marked her self-importance.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 29. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is one of Austen’s great comic creations. She is an insufferable snob, full of her own self-importance, boastful, speaks with authority, and ensures that her visitors don’t forget their inferior rank. This is how Elizabeth finds her when she visits the great lady at her home. Austen is using satire here to ridicule the extreme snobbishness and class-consciousness of the English grande dame.

"Though Mrs. Collins has no instrument, she is very welcome, as I have often told her, to come to Rosings every day, and play on the pianoforte in Mrs. Jenkinson’s room. She would be in nobody’s way, you know, in that part of the house."
Mr. Darcy looked a little ashamed of his aunt’s ill-breeding, an made no answer.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 31. Lady Catherine, who cannot play the piano, rudely suggests that Elizabeth would not be in the way if she practised piano in the room of her daughter’s companion at Rosings. Lady Catherine uses her social position in society to assert dominance over and demean others. She lacks self-knowledge and self-awareness of her appalling manners. Even Darcy is ashamed of his aunt’s bad breeding.

"It must be very agreeable for her to be settled within so easy a distance of her own family and friends."
"An easy distance, do you call it? It is nearly fifty miles."
"And what is fifty miles of good road? Little more than half a day’s journey. Yes, I call it a very easy distance."
"I should never have considered the distance as one of the advantages of the match," cried Elizabeth. "I should never have said Mrs. Collins was settled near her family."
"It is a proof of your own attachment to Hertfordshire. Anything beyond the very neighbourhood of Longbourn, I suppose, would appear far."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 32. Darcy and Elizabeth disagree about whether the fifty miles between Charlotte’s’s family in Meryton and her new home in Hunsford parsonage is an "easy distance." The well-traveled Darcy thinks it is. But the more sheltered Elizabeth does not. This speaks to the class difference between them, those with wealth having greater access to transport and carriages than those without it. The "bewitched" Darcy (remember this from Chapter 10) may also be testing Elizabeth to see if she is open to the idea of moving away from her family in Longbourn to settle with him in Pemberley!

"There were some very strong objections against the lady," were Colonel Fitzwilliam’s words; and these strong objections probably were, her having one uncle who was a country attorney, and another who was in business in London.
"To Jane herself," she exclaimed, "there could be no possibility of objection; all loveliness and goodness as she is! – her understanding excellent, her mind improved, and her manners captivating."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 33. Petty snobbery and the ugly class divide in Austen’s England looms their ugly head regarding Jane’s relationship with Mr. Bingley and his sudden disappearance. When Colonel Fitzwilliam reveals that there were strong objections against Jane because of low class family connections, Elizabeth strongly defends her sister’s character and manners.

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Elizabeth’s astonishment was beyond expression. She stared, coloured, doubted, and was silent. This he considered sufficient encouragement, and the avowal of all that he felt and had long felt for her, immediately followed. He spoke well, but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed, and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority – of its being a degradation – of the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 34. Mr. Darcy arrives at the Hunsford parsonage to make his first proposal of marriage to Elizabeth. While he is frank and honest and open, he goes about it in a clumsy and unromantic way. He speaks of how he has struggled to repress his feelings for Elizabeth, her inferior social rank and the family obstacles to such a union. But despite Elizabeth’s inferiority, he manages to declare his strong admiration and love for her. Elizabeth is absolutely shocked by the proposal, especially as she finds Darcy less "eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride." Darcy’s proposal seems to be more about himself than about the woman he says he loves and admires. One might say that his presentation leaves a lot to be desired. This is an example of situational irony, because Darcy proposes at the precise moment when Elizabeth hates him the most.

These offences might have been overlooked, had not your pride been hurt by my honest confession of the scruples that had long prevented my forming any serious design. These bitter accusations might have been suppressed, had I, with greater policy, concealed my struggles, and flattered you into the belief of my being impelled by unqualified, unalloyed inclination; by reason, by reflection, by everything. But disguise of every sort is my abhorrence. Nor am I ashamed of the feelings I related. They were natural and just. Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? – to congratulate myself on the hope of relations, whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own?

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 34. Darcy is speaking to Elizabeth here, thanking her for explaining fully to him his serious faults. This passage demonstrates why the novel is called Pride and Prejudice. Darcy accuses Elizabeth of injured pride over his honest admission about the scruples he had to overcome before proposing to her. He shows his own class prejudice when he speaks of the inferiority of Elizabeth’s connections and relations "whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own." Darcy is honest and there is no duplicity about him, he speaks his mind and informs Elizabeth that "disguise of every sort is my abhorrence."

"Now I have got some news for you," said Lydia, as they sat down at table. "What do you think? It is excellent news – capital news – and about a certain person we all like!"
Jane and Elizabeth looked at each other, and the waiter was told he need not stay. Lydia laughed, and said:
"Aye, that is just like your formality and discretion. You thought the waiter must not hear, as if he cared! I dare I say he often hears worse things said than I am going to say. But he is an ugly fellow! I am glad he is gone. I never saw such a long chin in my life. Well, but now for my news; it is about dear Wickham; too good for the waiter, is it not? There is no danger of Wickham’s marrying Mary King. There’s for you! She is gone down to her uncle at Liverpool: gone to stay. Wickham is safe."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 39. Lydia Bennet displays a complete lack of tact and decorum when she announces some gossip and speaks about the appearance of a servant at the table. Describing the waiter in demeaning and dismissive terms, she obviously looks down her nose on the serving class. Her gossip concerns the end of George Wickham’s relationship with Mary King.

"And of this place," thought she, "I might have been mistress! With these rooms I might now have been familiarly acquainted! Instead of viewing them as a stranger, I might have rejoiced in them as my own, and welcomed to them as visitors my uncle and aunt. But no," – recollecting herself – "that could never be; my uncle and aunt would have been lost to me; I should not have been allowed to invite them."

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 43. As Elizabeth wanders around Pemberley room by room, she is struck by the realization that she could have been mistress of the estate. It is only on seeing Darcy’s country home, that she can imagine herself being Mrs. Darcy. But amid her day-dreaming, the reality hits that if she married Darcy she could not invite Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner over because of Darcy’s class prejudice.

Elizabeth, on her side, had much to do. She wanted to ascertain the feelings of each of her visitors; she wanted to compose her own, and to make herself agreeable to all; and in the latter object, where she feared most to fail, she was most sure of success, for those to whom she endeavoured to give pleasure were prepossessed in her favour. Bingley was ready, Georgiana was eager, and Darcy determined, to be pleased.

– Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 44. Elizabeth is surprised when Mr. Darcy, Georgiana and Charles Bingley show up for a visit at the inn at Lambton where she is staying with her aunt and uncle. Initially nervous at their sudden appearance a day before they were expected, she soon regains her self-confidence as they meet face to face. Anxious to please her company, Elizabeth need not have worried. For Austen describes beautifully how Elizabeth finds them "prepossessed in her favour" with each in turn "ready," "eager" and "determined" to be pleased – three words that sum up the mood of her visitors. Any barriers that may have existed before, including those of class and misunderstanding, appear to have melted away. They meet as equals. Elizabeth goes on to observe that Bingley and Georgiana are not romantically interested in each other, proving Caroline Bingley’s claim a fiction. She also finds that Mr. Darcy continuing to show good manners.
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