Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley’s attentions to her…
““Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley’s attentions to her sister, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty: he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware: to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Darcy’s initial criticism of Elizabeth shifts to admiration as he notices her inner qualities.
In simple terms: He first judged her harshly, then grew to appreciate her.
Key Takeaway
Look beyond first impressions.
Themes
love
class
perception
personal growth
Mood
romantic
analytical
Type
narrative
literary
When to use this quote
- courtship
- social gatherings
- personal discovery
Key Concepts
social hierarchy
character development
self-awareness
Questions to Reflect On
- What qualities do you discover over time?
- How can you challenge your own biases?
A Different Perspective
First impressions can be misleading.