So Jane Austen wrote some super relatable quotes.
You can find them on t-shirts, on mugs, on tote bags.
They flood Instagram and Pinterest.
And different people identify with different quotes.
Which is totally great, except that some of the most popular Jane Austen quotes
are taking completely out of context.
And if people knew their true origins, they wouldn't exactly,
probably want them on a t-shirt.
And that's what we're going to be talking about here today.
The top five, Jane Austen, misquotes people love because they relate to them,
but you might not love them so much once you remember where they came from.
My name is Ellie Dashwood and this is my channel.
Do you like classic literature and history?
If so then definitely subscribe because that is what this channel is about.
So before we get into the quotes, I just want to talk a little bit about
why does this phenomenon happen?
Why are these quotes so widely misconstrued?
I think the underlying problem is that often with book quotes, the
quote is attributed to the author of the book, on the internet, rather
than the character who said it.
While, obviously Jane Austen deserves the credit for coming up with these
quotes because she wrote her novels.
I think it's also really important to attribute them to the characters
so that, you know, who said, what.
That does not happen here on the internet.
So all of these quotes, if you Google search these quotes, it'll come
up as being said by Jane Austen.
Yeah.
So since these quotes are super relatable, I feel like different demographics
of people really identify with them and which leads to their popularity.
And so the big question here today is which of these Jane Austen misquotes
do you identify with the most?
So the first quote up is for all you book lovers out there.
So this quote is usually split up into two different quotes that I see a lot.
But I'll just read it all together for you.
And while I read it, I want you to think, "Who said this in her books?"
"I declare after all there's no enjoyment like reading.
How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book.
When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have
not an excellent library."
So can you guess who said this in the book?
Well, if you guessed Caroline Bingley in Pride and Prejudice, then you are right.
Yes.
The really mean sister of Mr.
Bingley is the author of this quote.
And what is its context?
Well, this has when they are at Netherfield and Mr.
Darcy's reading a book and remember, Caroline's always trying to hit on Mr.
Darcy.
And so she picks up this book.
And it says, "At length, quite exhausted by the attempt to be amused with her own
book, which she had only chosen because it was the second volume of his, she
gave a great yawn and said, 'How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way.
I declare after all there's no enjoyment like reading.
How much sooner when tires of anything than have a book.
When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have
not an excellent library.'
So in context, it's Caroline who, as we see she's already tired of this book,
actually, doesn't like reading, she's trying to share a common interest with Mr.
Darcy.
And her desire for a great library is connected to the fact that
Pemberley has a great library.
So really this quote was said by a non-book lover who's
just trying to hit on Mr.
Darcy and is one of the classic mean girls of Jane Austen literature.
Which I think is funny because a lot of these misquotes are often said by
the classic mean girls in the books.
The second quote is for all you very loving friends out there.
So many people who really have great friendships relate
to this quote wonderfully.
It says: "There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends.
I have no notion of loving people by halves.
It's not in my nature.
My attachments are always excessively strong."
So can you guess who said this quote?
It is Isabella Thorpe from Northanger Abbey, the worst false friend of them
all I think in Jane Austen's writing.
Where she's like "We're best friends!"
And then she's like, "Until I totally turn on you."
Yep.
So I think it's very interesting because Isabella's character in
Northanger Abbey often does this.
She will state the exact opposite of what she really is.
You know, like later when she's like, "Oh, I don't care about money."
When she really only cares about money.
Now, of course, the sentiment she expressed is beautiful.
Obviously people should have close and loving friendships, but Isabella
is pretty much lying in this quote.
And so I think it's funny that it's just caught on the way it has.
And then there's this honorary quote that says: "If you love
this video, please like it."
Okay, that's not really a Jane Austen quote.
But I just try to come up with creative ways to ask you guys to like the video.
And that was my, my poor attempt today.
So the next quote up is for you music lovers out there.
Who doesn't love music?
Especially if you are a musician, it is an important part of life.
And so this quote really might speak to you that says" Without
music, life would be blank to me."
Can you guess who said this one?
Mm.
Hmm.
If you guessed Mrs.
Elton from Emma, you are right!
Yes, this is of course, Mrs Elton talking to Emma.
And this is it in context: "'But,' said I, 'to be quite honest, I
do not think I can live without something of a musical society.
I condition for nothing else, but without music, life would be a blank
to me.'" And this is when Emma is sitting there, at Hartfield meeting Mr.
Elton's wife.
Being like, "I really don't like this girl."
Anyway, music is great, but.
Mrs.
Elton quotes are probably not the most brilliant.
So next up is a quote that probably a lot of you in our community relate to,
because I've learned from comments and interacting with you all of that, a
majority of you seem to be introverts.
Who don't really enjoy partying.
And so this quote might be again, super relatable to you.
Where it says, "Ah, there's nothing like staying at home for real comfort."
Which is true.
It's like really nice to chill at home.
And some people want to always make you go to parties and it's like, "Why?!?!"
But again, do you know who said this?
Actually the Mrs.
Elton from Emma again.
And do you think Mrs.
Elton really thinks this?
Not quite sure how much of a home body Mrs.
Elton really is.
And next up is a another one for the introverts and not
party people in the world.
Now I want you to tell me who said this in the book.
Because, I think a lot of people know who said it in the 2005 movie.
The quote from the book is: "I should like balls infinitely better if they were
carried on in a different manner, but there is something insufferably tedious
in the usual process of such a meeting.
It would surely be much more rational if conversation instead of
dancing were made order of the day."
So can you tell me who said this quote?
If you said Mary Bennet, you are not correct.
I'm sorry!
It's actually, again, Caroline Bingley, trying to impress Mr.
Darcy with her non-party like, introverted, book -loving ways
that she thinks will appeal to him and seal the romance forever.
But why, again, this is so relatable to people?
It's cause some people really aren't party people.
But I'm pretty sure Miss Bingley is a party person.
She just wants to impress Mr.
Darcy.
Which we all know how well that turned out.
I do have to say that.
I think this is an interesting characterization tool that Jane Austen's
using across all of her novels, which is to have the mean girls assert opinions
that are the exact opposite of their own.
Which I don't think I would have actually thought about in- depth, had I not noticed
the misquoting of all of these quotes.
And by misquoting, I mean, it's just taken out of context, attributed to
Jane Austen and loved by millions of t-shirt owners around the world.
I don't know if there's really millions of people with these t-shirts.
Probably not.
But someone's got to exaggerate on this channel.
So the question is: which of these misquotes do you relate to the most?
And keep having an awesome day, because you're awesome.
I'm sorry, cat.
That is my cat Romulus.
He's very sad because he can't eat right now.
Cause he just got diagnosed with diabetes.
And so we can only feed him every 12 hours when we give him his insulin.
So he gets really sad and tells us.
Now my cat is just scratching, scratching.
This is what happens because he's on treatment and he's
responding to the treatment.
He didn't have that much energy before and now he has energy to cause havoc.