""Has Your governess left you?" "We never had any governess." "No governess! How is that possible? Five daughters brought up at a home without a governess! I never heard of such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education." Elizabeth could hardly help smiling, as she assured [Lady Catherine] that had not been the case" (Austen 141).
Lady Catherine is talking to Elizabeth to learn about her family and herself. She cannot understand what Elizabeth is telling her, for she has never experienced such a thing. Lady Catherine, being a very wealthy woman, does not understand how Elizabeth and her family could live the way they have. Lady Catherine has grown up rich, has has been surrounded by the wealthy, so she has only known of her upbringing. To hear of a difference is appalling to her. It is interesting to see how her views differ from ELizabeth's, solely due to her position in society. Lady Catherine does not assent with Elizabeth's upbringing; at the same time, she seems to act very amiable with Elizabeth, despite her lack of wealth. Lady Catherine seems to be a very cordial and affable woman who, although knows she is of a higher rank and shows it off, can accept the differences in societal upbringing. I wonder whether her views will change as the novel progresses.
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