English Lit Sense and Sensibility Key Quotes

He was not an...

He was not an ill-disposed young man, unless to be rather cold hearted, and rather selfish, is to be ill-disposed

Mrs. John Dashwood was a strong...

Mrs. John Dashwood was a strong caricature of himself; more narrow-minded and selfish

Yes, he would give them...

Yes, he would give them three thousand pounds, it would be liberal and handsome! [...] he could spare so considerable a sum with little inconvenience

(Elinor) Possessed a strength...

(Elinor) Possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgement

She had an excellent...

She had an excellent heart; her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but she knew how to govern them

She was sensible and...

She was sensible and clever; but eager in every thing; her sorrows, her joy, could have no moderation

To take three thousand pounds from the...

To take three thousand pounds from the fortune of their dear little boy, would be impoverishing him to the most dreadful degree. She begged him to think again on the subject. How could he answer it to himself to rob his child, and his only child too, of so large a sum

The time may come...

The time may come when Harry will regret that so large a sum was parted with

No one, at least, can think I have not...

No one, at least, can think I have not done enough for them: even themselves, they can hardly expect more

It would be absolutely unnecessary, if not...

It would be absolutely unnecessary, if not highly indecorous, to do more for the widow and children of his father, than such kind of neighbourly acts as his own wife pointed out

Some mothers might have encouraged the...

Some mothers might have encouraged the intimacy from motives of interest, for Edward Ferrars was the eldest son of a man who had died very rich

It was enough for her that he appeared to be...

It was enough for her that he appeared to be amiable, that he loved her daughter, and that Elinor returned the partiality

No sooner did she perceive any symptom of...

No sooner did she perceive any symptom of love in his behaviour to Elinor, than she considered their serious attachment as certain, and looked forward to their marriage as rapidly approaching

The more I see of the world...

The more I see of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love

She knew that what Marianne and her mother...

She knew that what Marianne and her mother conjectured one moment, they believed the next - that with them, to wish was to hope, and to hope was to expect

Marianne was astonished to find...

Marianne was astonished to find how much the imagination of her mother and herself had outstripped the truth

The man and one of the maids were...

The man and one of the maids were sent off immediately into Devonshire, to prepare the house for their mistress’s arrival

She was reserved, cold, and...

She was reserved, cold, and had nothing to say for herself beyond the most common-place inquiry or remark

Sir John was a...

Sir John was a sportsman, Lady Middleton a mother

To be unaffected was...

To be unaffected was all that a pretty girl could want to make her mind as captivating as her person

Mrs. Jennings was a widow, with...

Mrs. Jennings was a widow, with an ample jointure. She had only two daughters, both of whom she had lived to see respectfully married, and she had now therefore nothing to do but marry all the rest of the world

It would be an excellent match, for...

It would be an excellent match, for he was rich and she was handsome

He acquiesced in all her...

He acquiesced in all her decisions, caught all her enthusiasm; and long before his visit concluded, they conversed with the familiarity of a long-established acquaintance

He was exactly formed...

He was exactly formed to engage Marianne’s heart

Lady Middleton was more...

Lady Middleton was more agreeable than her mother, only in being more silent

It was impossible for...

It was impossible for them, if they spoke at all, to keep clear of every subject which her feelings connected with him

If, by this conduct...

If, by this conduct, she did not lessen her own grief, it was at least prevented from unnecessary increase, and her mother and sisters were spared much solicitude on her account