Pride and Prejudice

According to Miss Bingley and Mr Darcy, what qualities must a women have in order to be considered an "accomplished women"?

According to Miss Bingley and Mr Darcy, what qualities must a women have in order to be considered an "accomplished women"?

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Miss Bingley believes an accomplished woman has countenance, manners, the ablity to dance, and play the piano. Darcy's summation of accomplishment went as follows.....

"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but halfdeserved."

"All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."

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Pride and Prejudice