Jane Austen, colored portrait. Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.
From her books…
1. On Friendship
“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” – In Northanger Abbey, Chapter 6.
2. On Women’s Way to Fast-Fantasize about the Development of a Relationship with a Man
“A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.” – In Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6
3. On Expectations and Requirements regarding a Romantic Partner
“The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!” – In Sense And Sensibility, Chapter 3
4. On Anger and Wisdom
“Angry people are not always wise.” – In Sense And Sensibility, Chapter 45
5. On Relaxation, Comfort, and Home
“Ah! there is nothing like staying at home for real comfort. Nobody can be more devoted to home than I am.” – In Emma, Volume 2, Chapter 14
6. On the Rational Nature of Women
“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.” – In Persuasion, Chapter 8
7. On the Rarity of Truthful Disclosures
“Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken.” In Emma, Volume 3, Chapter 13
8. On the right to be Respected
“I always deserve the best treatment because I never put up with any other.” – In Emma, Volume 3, Chapter 18
9. On Good Company
“My idea of good company [Mr. Elliott] is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.’
‘You are mistaken,’ said he gently, ‘that is not good company, that is the best.” – In Persuasion, Chapter 16
10. On the Importance of People learning to do things for themselves.
“There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.”- In Emma, Chapter 11
Source for Text Quotations: Classic Literature
Image information: This image comes from the Portrait Gallery of the Perry–Castañeda Library of the University of Texas at Austin. According to the collection’s title page, the image is in the public domain and no permission is needed to use it.