But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever.
– Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 9. Elizabeth makes this observation during a conversation with her mother, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley about the differences between country and city society – Darcy thinks provincial life boring. Her comment is meant as a dig at Darcy, whom she thinks will never change. It also foreshadows the lessons Elizabeth herself will learn about her misjudgment of people, prejudice against Darcy, and the changes she will undergo on her journey to self-knowledge and self-discovery.