Respect and Reputation Quotes in Brooklyn: A Novel

How we cite our quotes: (Part.Paragraph)

Quote #1

As each customer came into the shop [...] Miss Kelly had a different tone. Sometimes she said nothing [...] And then there were customers whom she greeted warmly and by name. (1.80)

Miss Kelly is so judgmental and snooty that we don't know how Eilis stays sane while working at her shop. It would be bad enough if she was only a jerk to the customers, but she treats Eilis in a condescending fashion too, often subtly alluding to her family's lower social status in relation to her own. We're getting annoyed just thinking about her.

Quote #2

Miss McAdam [...] sniffed her nose disapprovingly if anyone passed by them who she thought was Italian or Jewish. (2.11)

If nothing else, this shows that people are just as condescending and judgmental in America as they are in Ireland. The main difference is that in America there are a whole bunch of different ethnic groups to stereotype and look down on.

Quote #3

It was clear to her that her landlady's last remark carried with it the firm idea that she and Eilis stood apart from the other lodgers. (3.35)

This happens quite a bit in the novel and it drives Eilis nuts every time. Although she's appreciative of the preferential treatment she receives from Mrs. Kehoe, Eilis is fundamentally opposed to elitism of any sort—probably because she's been a victim of it plenty of times.