How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
A Quaker lady of high principles, the wife of a not-very-successful engineer, you lived in exile [...] and stayed a cultural snob through it all. (1.1.38)
Susan is one classy lady. To be honest, however, this is a bit of a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it allows her to move through society with ease and earn oodles of respect from anyone she meets. On the other, it gives her high standards that are often impossible to meet.
Quote #2
I think her love for my grandfather, however real, was always somewhat unwilling. She must unconsciously have agreed with his judgement that she was higher and finer than he. (1.1.44)
Although she digs him, Susan has reservations about Oliver from the get-go. These concerns center around the fact that Oliver is a little low class compared to her: he lacks that certain je ne sais quoi that you need to navigate the world of the rich and famous. Regardless, the heart wants what it wants, so Susan shoves these concerns to the side in the name of love.
Quote #3
A relatively poor girl making her own way—what Rodman would call "upward mobile"—she put a higher value on gentility than most who were bred in it. (1.4.12)
So, this is why Susan is so concerned with acting fancy. Because she grew up poorer than most of her peers, she's pretty much obsessed with trying to fit into the cutthroat world of high society. For the trust-fund kids she parties with, however, this lifestyle is something in which they were born and bred to take part.