Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.”
- Source
- Emma
- Date
- 1815
- Local voice
- Fictional character · Emma Woodhouse
Meaning of “Silly things do cease to be silly if…”
Austen’s ironic narration shows how confidence and a favorable opinion of someone can make observers excuse behavior they would otherwise call foolish.
Where does it come from?
Emma, Volume II, Chapter VIII, scan-backed 1816 John Murray first edition on Wikisource. After Frank Churchill returns from an impulsive haircut, Emma “moralised to herself” that silly things can cease to seem silly when sensible people do them impudently. This is Emma Woodhouse’s ironic private judgment inside the novel, not Austen endorsing impudence as a general rule.
Why the local voice matters
Emma “moralised to herself” after Frank Churchill’s impulsive haircut in Emma, Volume II, Chapter VIII; the line is her ironic private judgment inside the novel.