Celibacy Quote by Jane Austen
““...it is poverty only which makes celibacy contemptible to a generous public! 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. And the distinction is not quite so much against the candour and common sense of the world as appears at first; for a very narrow income has a tendency to contract the mind, and sour the temper. Those who can barely live, and who live perforce in a very small, and generally very inferior, society, may well be illiberal and cross.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, 1813
Economic hardship can make celibacy seem contemptible, while wealth allows single women to be respected and pleasant.
In simple terms: Poverty makes single life look bad; wealth makes it respectable.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how financial status shapes social judgments.
Themes
social class
gender
economics
marriage
stigma
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
observational
analytical
social commentary
When to use this quote
- single women
- financial independence
- social expectations
- marriage market
Key Concepts
class consciousness
gender norms
social perception
Questions to Reflect On
- How does income affect how we view single people?
- Can society value individuals beyond their economic status?
A Different Perspective
Wealth does not guarantee happiness, and poverty does not always lead to negativity.
![“Everybody is taken in at some period or another. [...] In marriage especially. [...] There is not one in a hundred of either sex, who is not taken in when they marry. Look where I will, I see that it is so; and I feel that it must be so, when I consider that it is, of all transactions, the one in…” quote by Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/37a/jane-austen-39_marriage_everybody-is-taken-in-at-some-period-or_7175.jpg)
