How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
At last, after much previous precaution and enjoined concealment, she communicated to me, as a profound secret—that my husband kept a mistress.
You will certainly imagine I heard this news with the utmost insensibility—Upon my word, if you do, your imagination will mislead you. Contempt had not so kept down my anger to my husband, but that hatred rose again on this occasion. What can be the reason of this? Are we so abominably selfish, that we can be concerned at others having possession even of what we despise? Or are we not rather abominably vain, and is not this the greatest injury done to our vanity? (11.7.11-2)
By now, Mrs. Fitzpatrick has already realized that she hates Mr. Fitzpatrick. She thinks her husband is cruel, stupid, and selfish. But even though she despises him, she is still angry to hear that he is having an affair. And Mrs. Fitzpatrick asks some great questions: is it out of selfishness that she cares, that she doesn't want another woman to have what's hers, even if she doesn't want it? Or is it that she doesn't want her husband to desire another woman more than her, even if she doesn't desire him back? Why is it still hurtful to know that someone is cheating on you, even if you aren't into the relationship in the first place?
Quote #8
The elegant Lord Shaftesbury somewhere objects to telling too much truth: by which it may be fairly inferred, that, in some cases, to lie is not only excusable but commendable. […]
We are not, therefore, ashamed to say, that our heroine now pursued the dictates of the above-mentioned right honourable philosopher. As she was perfectly satisfied then, that Lady Bellaston was ignorant of the person of Jones, so she determined to keep her in that ignorance, though at the expense of a little fibbing. (13.12.1-3)
Sophia is generally an honest girl, but she isn't stupid. She decides to lie a bit to cover up Tom's identity to Lady Bellaston. (The narrator jokes that girls in love often lie, and that this is not only "excusable but commendable.") But Sophia is not a good liar, because she doesn't keep in practice. Lady Bellaston, on the other hand, is a really superb liar. We also find out that Mrs. Fitzpatrick is great at covering up the truth. These are two highly morally ambiguous people, so it makes sense that they work hard at their skills at lying. But do you think that it is possible to be both a good person and a good liar? When is it ethically okay to lie? Is Sophia's lie about Tom's identity morally justifiable?
Quote #9
Sophia is generally an honest girl, but she isn't stupid. She decides to lie a bit to cover up Tom's identity to Lady Bellaston. (The narrator jokes that girls in love often lie, and that this is not only "excusable but commendable.") But Sophia is not a good liar, because she doesn't keep in practice. Lady Bellaston, on the other hand, is a really superb liar. We also find out that Mrs. Fitzpatrick is great at covering up the truth. These are two highly morally ambiguous people, so it makes sense that they work hard at their skills at lying. But do you think that it is possible to be both a good person and a good liar? When is it ethically okay to lie? Is Sophia's lie about Tom's identity morally justifiable?
Honestly, we think this passage is one of the darkest parts of this whole novel. In it, Sophia tries to explain to Mrs. Western that she does not want to marry Lord Fellamar because he tried to assault her. And Mrs. Western is so committed to the idea that her niece is going to marry a rich lord that she has trouble believing her. In fact, Mrs. Western tells Sophia that she must be inventing this story "to raise [Mrs. Western's] indignation" against Lord Fellamar. Whoa, that's upsetting.