Emma Quotes


  • “till it appears that men are much more philosophic on the subject of beauty than they are generally supposed; till they do fall in love with well-informed minds instead of handsome faces, a girl, with such loveliness as Harriet, has a certainty of being admired and sought after, of having the power of chusing from among many, consequently a claim to be nice.” - Page 62 (Vol 1, Chp 8)
  • "A woman is not to marry a man merely because she is asked, or because he is attached to her, and can write a tolerable letter."- Page 53 (Vol 1, Chp 7)
  • "It is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage. A man always imagines a woman to be ready for any body who asks her."- Page 59 (Vol 1, Chp 8)
  • "Miss Smith is a very good sort of girl; and I should be happy to see her respectably settled. I wish her extremely well and, no doubt, there are men who might not object to—Every body has their level but as for myself, I am not, I think, quite so much at a loss." - Page 125 (Vol 1, Chp 15)
  • "A man would always wish to give a woman a better home than the one he takes her from; and he who can do it, where there is no doubt of her regard, must, I think, be the happiest of mortals." - Page 401 (Vol 3, Chp 49)
  • "She had talked her into love; but, alas! she was not so easily to be talked out of it." - Page 172 (Vol 2, Chp 22)
  •  "A single woman, with a very narrow income, must be a ridiculous, disagreeable old maid! the proper sport of boys and girls, but a single woman, of good fortune, is always respectable, and may be as sensible and pleasant as any body else." - Page 83 (Vol 1, Chp 10)
  • "What right had he to endeavour to please, as he certainly did—to distinguish any one young woman with persevering attention, as he certainly did—while he really belonged to another?—How could he tell what mischief he might be doing?—How could he tell that he might not be making me in love with him?—very wrong, very wrong indeed." - Page 372 (Vol 3, Chp 46)
  • "Why was it so much worse that Harriet should be in love with Mr. Knightley than with Frank Churchill? Why was the evil so dreadfully increased by Harriet’s having some hope of a return?" - Page 382 (Vol 3, Chp 47)
  • "She would notice her; she would improve her; she would detach her from her bad acquaintance, and introduce her into good society; she would form her opinions and her manners." - Page 24 (Vol 1, Chp 3)
  • “It was a very great relief to Emma to find Harriet as desirous as herself to avoid a meeting.” - Page 422 (Vol 3, Chp 52)