“no young lady can be justified in falling in love
before the gentleman’s love is declared, it must
be very improper that a young lady should dream
of a gentleman before the gentleman is first
known to have dreamt of her” pg. 24
Marriage
The question of wealth and
the money that will come
with marriage
Forms a large part of Isabella's decisons
James has money yet Captain Tilney proposes more
Spikes the General's
interest in Catherine
Marriage was a way to
increase one's fortune
For a woman it was the only way to do so
A man asks; a woman's choice
is only to accept or refuse
“You will allow, that in both, man
has the advantage of choice, woman
only the power of refusal” Pg. 82
Marriage as a contract in which the two
spouses must work to be agreeable to
one another and keep each other from
ever regretting having married
Rather than love as a magical
state of emotional
attachment and physical
attraction
“it is their duty, each to endeavour to
give the other no cause for wishing
that he or she had bestowed
themselves elsewhere, and their best
interest to keep their own
imaginations from wandering towards
the perfections of their neighbours, or
fancying that they should have been
better off with any one else.” Pg. 82
Catherine and Henry
Catherine is attracted to Henry, and it is
her obvious love for him, rather than his
admiration of her, that bind him to her
“a persuasion of her partiality for him
had been the only cause of giving her
a serious thought.” Pg. 276
The General's interference only
strengthens their relationship
“the General's unjust interference, so far from being
really injurious to their felicity, was perhaps rather
conducive to it, by improving their knowledge of each
other, and adding strength to their attachment” pg. 286
Isabella and
James/Captain Tilney
Henry claims he will not interfere as
Isabella must prove her own loyalty to
James to prove her love for him
“You have no doubt of the mutual attachment of your brother
and your friend; depend upon it therefore, that real jealousy
never can exist between them; depend upon it that no
disagreement between them can be of any duration” Pg. 169
Eleanor and the 'Viscount'
She is only permitted to marry him once he has
aquired a status that General TIlney approves of
The contrast between Isabella's
pursuit of marriage and Catherine's
desire to be with Henry