I pay very little regard...to what any young person says on the subject of marriage. If they profess a disinclination for it, I only set it down that they have not yet seen the right person.
Jane AustenRead
It is indolence... Indolence and love of ease; a want of all laudable ambition, of taste for good company, or of inclination to take the trouble of being agreeable, which make men clergymen. A clergyman has nothing to do but be slovenly and selfish; read the newspaper, watch the weather, and quarrel with his wife. His curate does all the work and the business of his own life is to dine.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the laziness and lack of ambition found in some clergymen, highlighting their reliance on others for work.
In this quote, Jane Austen expresses her disdain for clergymen who embody indolence and a lack of genuine ambition. She perceives them as individuals who prefer a life of ease, failing to engage meaningfully with their responsibilities or with society, often leaving the burden of work to those around them. This critique serves as a commentary on the social expectations of clergymen during her time and the implications of their role in society, suggesting that those who hold such positions may not always fulfill their duties with integrity or effort.
Themes
IndolenceLazinessClergymanAmbitionSociety
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of ambition and hard work.
More from Jane Austen
All quotes →Nobody could catch cold by the sea; nobody wanted appetite by the sea; nobody wanted spirits; nobody wanted strength. Sea air was healing, softening, relaxing - fortifying and bracing - seemingly just as was wanted - sometimes one, sometimes the other. If the sea breeze failed, the seabath was the certain corrective; and where bathing disagreed, the sea air alone was evidently designed by nature for the cure.
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He certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person.
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You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever.
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She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! Alas! She must confess to herself that she was not wise yet.
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