Catherine – “her
heart was affectionate; her disposition cheerful and open, without conceit or
affectation of any kind – her manners just removed from the awkwardness and
shyness of a girl; her person pleasing, and, when in good looks, pretty – and
her mind about as ignorant and uninformed as the female mind at seventeen
usually is. “ (Chapter 2)
Mrs Allen – “Mrs
Allen was one of that numerous class of females, whose society can raise no
other emotion than surprise at there being any men in the world who could like
them well enough to marry them. She had neither beauty, genius, accomplishment,
nor manner. The air of a gentlewoman, a great deal of quiet, inactive good
temper, and a trifling turn of mind were all that could account for her being
the choice of a sensible, intelligent man like Mr. Allen.” “Dress was her passion. She had a most
harmless delight in being fine; and our heroine’s entree into life could not
take place till after three or four days had been spent in learning what was
mostly worn, and her chaperone was provided with a dress of the newest
fashion.” (Chapter 2)
Henry Tilney – “The
master of the ceremonies introduced to her a very gentlemanlike young man as a
partner; his name was Tilney. He seemed to be about four or five and twenty,
was rather tall, had a pleasing countenance, a very intelligent and lively eye,
and, if not quite handsome, was very near it. His address was good, and
Catherine felt herself in high luck.” (Chapter 3)
Mrs. Allen and Mrs
Thorpe – “they proceeded to make inquiries and give intelligence as to their
families, sisters, and cousins, talking both together, far more ready to give
than to receive information, and each hearing very little of what the other
said.” “(Mrs. Allen) was never satisfied with the day
unless she spent the chief of it by the side of Mrs. Thorpe, in what they
called conversation, but in which there was scarcely ever any exchange of
opinion, and not often any resemblance of subject, for Mrs. Thorpe talked
chiefly of her children, and Mrs. Allen of her gowns.” (Chapter 5)
Miss Tilney – “Miss
Tilney had a good figure, a pretty face, and a very agreeable countenance; and
her air, though it had not all the decided pretension, the resolute stylishness
of Miss Thorpe’s, had more real elegance. Her manners showed good sense and
good breeding; they were neither shy nor affectedly open; and she seemed
capable of being young, attractive, and at a ball without wanting to fix the
attention of every man near her, and without exaggerated feelings of ecstatic
delight or inconceivable vexation on every little trifling occurrence.”
(Chapter 8)
John Thorpe –
“Catherine listened with astonishment; she knew not how to reconcile two such
very different accounts of the same thing; for she had not been brought up to
understand the propensities of a rattle, nor to know to how many idle
assertions and impudent falsehoods the excess of vanity will lead…(her family)
were not in the habit therefore of telling lies to increase their importance,
or of asserting at one moment what they would contradict the next. “By (John Thorpe) him the whole matter
seemed entirely forgotten; and all the rest of his conversation, or rather
talk, began and ended with himself and his own concerns. He told her of horses
which he had bought for a trifle and sold for incredible sums; of racing
matches, in which his judgment had infallibly foretold the winner; of shooting
parties, in which he had killed more birds (though without having one good
shot) than all his companions together; and described to her some famous day’s
sport, with the fox-hounds, in which his foresight and skill in directing the
dogs had repaired the mistakes of the most experienced huntsman, and in which
the boldness of his riding, though it had never endangered his own life for a
moment, had been constantly leading others into difficulties, which he calmly
concluded had broken the necks of many.” (Chapter 9)
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