I pay very little regard...to what any young person says on the subject of marriage. If they profess a disinclination for it, I only set it down that they have not yet seen the right person.
Jane AustenRead
She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! Alas! She must confess to herself that she was not wise yet.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a struggle between aspiration for wisdom and the realization of current shortcomings.
In this quote, Jane Austen poignantly illustrates the internal conflict of a person who seeks wisdom and reason but acknowledges their current lack of it. The repetition of 'Alas!' highlights a sense of disappointment and self-awareness, suggesting that the journey toward wisdom is often fraught with challenges and self-doubt, while also leaving room for hope for the future.
Themes
WisdomSelf-AwarenessAspirationRealizationSelf-Doubt
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote during a discussion about personal growth.
More from Jane Austen
All quotes βNobody could catch cold by the sea; nobody wanted appetite by the sea; nobody wanted spirits; nobody wanted strength. Sea air was healing, softening, relaxing - fortifying and bracing - seemingly just as was wanted - sometimes one, sometimes the other. If the sea breeze failed, the seabath was the certain corrective; and where bathing disagreed, the sea air alone was evidently designed by nature for the cure.
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He certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person.
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A person who is knowingly bent on bad behavior, gets upset when better behavior is expected of them.
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You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever.
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Yes," replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, "but that was when I first knew her; for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.
Jane AustenRead
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