5 G.O.A.T Jane Austen quotes for Indian Women that are here to stay

I won’t be going over the edge if I dare say, Jane Austen is what Taylor Swift is for the world of songwriting. Her sharp wit and free spirit have been an inspiration for a long time.

This article has quotes from the delightful world of Jane Austen, and we will be talking about their relevance in today’s real world! Often, we do not read a classic because of the common perception of the book not holding any relatability in this day and age. Some of my favorite quotes from her works are here to remind us otherwise.

P.S. — Her books are even a great reminder for this women’s day to get back the sense of not being alone in this struggle to live your life on your terms.

1) “The more I know of the world, the more I’m convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!”

Here, the 16-year old Marianne Dashwood expressed her idea for finding a man and was perceived as “naive” for thinking about herself.

The sheer ability of a 16-year-old to define her needs and put it above everything else is remarkable in itself. When talking about this day and age, many teenagers find setting up a boundary for themselves difficult. Being aware of what exactly we’re looking for is anything but naive.

I know women might get the tag of being “absurd” for saying that they “require so much” from this society. Let alone the fact that the girl is willing to do her things by herself without the need to find a man.

2) “I abhor every common-place phrase by which wit is intended; and ‘setting one’s cap at a man,’ or ‘making a conquest,’ are the most odious of all.”

One more gem from the young Marianne Dashwood, who calls out Sir John for asking her to “set a cap on a man she likes” or else someone might snatch the guy from her.

I hope people understand the problem behind comparing ‘a woman getting married’ to ‘making a conquest.’ No one’s on a battlefield here. We’ve lived in this society that makes these comparisons for way too long now. People find the need to tell every woman they can find sitting happily by herself to find a suitor and “make the conquest” asap. Putting someone in that light indicates your inability to see her making something of herself on her own.

While it might be coming from a place of concern, making her look like a ‘bridezilla’ is where the problem lies.

3) “Sometimes one is guided by what they say of themselves, and very frequently by what other people say of them without giving oneself time to deliberate and judge.”

Everyone has an opinion on what a woman’s life choices should look like or the timeline it must follow.

Sometimes these voices are so loud and endless that their sentences start becoming someone’s reality and something that should ideally happen. As I mentioned earlier, the idea of an ideal human (or woman in this case) is highly subjective.

Needless to say, most women get a lot of people’s opinions on how they must present themselves in front of society or live in a certain way. It inherently becomes that woman’s life’s mantra, without even her noticing it, and she starts believing what the world around her teaches her to be. Knowing what you want for yourself and taking steps to fulfill that happens when you start guiding yourself with what you say about yourself.

4)” I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified MINE.”

I can hear every woman scream, Hell Yeah! after reading this one.

One can have all the pride they want and still respect another being. It is that basic. It comes up in the book when Miss Lucas tells Elizabeth that Mr. Darcy has every right to be proud of his fortune. How often have we heard this story of a woman trying to be independent but a man trying to control all her actions and wishes?

Sadly two centuries later, the need to suppress a woman’s thoughts is still very much alive (The progress is ongoing, but we’re certainly not there yet).

5) “I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.”

Most of us would have heard this at least once in our lives (or a version of it).

Over the years, a lot has been said and probably forgotten on this subject. A woman having an opinion and expressing it (freely) is still pretty much a luxury in our country.

Knowing that women are normal human beings with their flaws and glories and still minding your own business is all we ask :)

There is a multitude of such empowering quotes and nuances from her works that haven’t made it in this article. We shall keep having more of this to continue celebrating the vocalization she began two centuries ago.