How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Was it all a horrible mistake, my marrying him?" (9.3.4)
Carol can't help but wonder if she's made a huge mistake in marrying Will. She continues to wonder about this for the rest of the book, and she even separates from him for two years to see if she'd be happier alone.
Quote #8
"Am I really this settled thing called a 'married woman'? I feel so unmarried tonight. So free. To think that there was once a Mrs. Kennicott who let herself worry over a town called Gopher Prairie when there was a whole world outside it!" (10.2.11)
Carol has a very tough time identifying herself as a typical married woman. She prefers to think of herself as someone who's free to do whatever she wants, especially when there's such a big world out there. These thoughts just go to show how trapped she feels by marriage—or at least by this specific marriage.
Quote #9
"They say that marriage is a magic change. But I'm not changed." (14.1.3)
Carol has always heard stories about how marriage can magically change your life. But she doesn't feel like anything's different at all—and if things are different, they seem to be different for the worse. What kind of change do people actually expect from marriage?