Character Quote by Jane Austen
““That loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable-- that one false step involves her in endless ruin-- that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful-- and that she cannot be too much guarded in her behavior towards the undeserving of the opposite sex." ~Mary Bennett, P&P””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Pride and Prejudice, 1813
A woman's virtue, once lost, is irretrievable; reputation is fragile yet beautiful.
In simple terms: Lost virtue is unrecoverable; reputation fragile.
Key Takeaway
Guard reputation wisely.
Themes
virtue
reputation
gender
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
literary
social
When to use this quote
- courtship
- social standing
Key Concepts
social norms
feminine ideals
Questions to Reflect On
- How does modern society view reputation?
- Can virtue be restored?
A Different Perspective
May reinforce restrictive gender norms.
![“For her [Françoise], wealth was like a necessary condition without which virtue would lack both merit and charm. She made so little distinction between the two that she came to see their qualities as interchangeable, expecting material comfort from virtue and moral edification from wealth.” quote by Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/573/marcel-proust-114_character_for-her-fran-oise-wealth-was-like-a-nece_2687.jpg)
![“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)
