Quote 4
"Now, it is very important that you conduct yourself in a manner befitting to your station while at Spence. It's fine to be kind to the lesser girls, but remember that they are not your equals." (4.19)
Tom is just full of delightful little tidbits of useful information, isn't he? And this little speech clues us in to just how wealthy Gemma's family is—she is even richer than some of the rich girls who go to Spence.
Quote 5
"Father's no addict. Not Father," he says, as if he means to convince a jury. "He'll be fine now that he's back in England." (3.53)
Good 'ol Tom is never at a loss for a lie, whether he's lying to himself or his sister about the nature of their family. It seems as though he needs to have these lies in place to keep feeling good about himself and to feel confident in society.
Quote 6
"I say, Gemma, are you all right?" Tom is truly concerned.
I'm going mad, Tom. Help me.
"I was simply in a hurry." The sound coming out of my mouth is a cross between a laugh and a howl, like the sound a madwoman would make. (3.78-80)
Have you ever covered up what was really going on inside because you thought the other person couldn't understand? Gemma does this a lot. It is technically lying, but is it wrong to keep some things private?