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Read the excerpt from chapter 29 of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

When the ladies were separating for the toilette, he said to Elizabeth—

"Do not make yourself uneasy, my dear cousin, about your apparel. Lady Catherine is far from requiring that elegance of dress in us which becomes herself and her daughter. I would advise you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is superior to the rest—there is no occasion for anything more. Lady Catherine will not think the worse of you for being simply dressed. She likes to have the distinction of rank preserved.”

Which sentence from the excerpt reveals the social status aspect of the setting?

“Do not make yourself uneasy, my dear cousin, about your apparel.”
“Lady Catherine is far from requiring that elegance of dress in us which becomes herself and her daughter.”
“I would advise you merely to put on whatever of your clothes is superior to the rest—there is no occasion for anything more.”
“Lady Catherine will not think the worse of you for being simply dressed.”

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
“Lady Catherine is far from requiring that elegance of dress in us which becomes herself and her daughter.”

This sentence explicitly contrasts Lady Catherine’s higher standard and position with the others, revealing the social hierarchy.