Going through the first chapter, there are some more clues regarding the required virtues of a Heroine:

- not only the Heroine, but her father should be handsome as well
- the Heroine should definitely only be interested in traditional "girls'" activities
- she should be able to learn and understand things without being taught
- she should be able to throw a whole party into raptures by a prelude on the pianoforte, of her own composition
- she should be able to draw at least well enough to sketch her lover's profile, especially with a pencil
- her family should take care to move to a neighbourhood containing at least one lord, baronet, squire's son or foundling of mysterious origin for their Heroic daughter to fall in love with, or failing that, her father should take steps to acquire a ward

The footnote of the Norton Critical Edition for the first paragraph of the novel says:

Austen is mocking several sentimental and/or gothic literary conventions in this opening: the beautiful, exquisitely sensitive and accomplished heroine; her mother, whose death in childbirth leaves the heroine friendless; her father or male relative, poor and pitiable if not rich and tyrannical.