The Price of Salt, or Carol Chapter 23 Quotes

The Price of Salt, or Carol Chapter 23 Quotes

How we cite the quotes:
(Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote 1

Carol's phrase "come out" had made her think of being born, and it embarrassed her. (23.46)

Aside from the weird metaphor that makes it seem like Carol gave birth to Therese, the term "come out" is interesting here. "Come out of the closet" wasn't used until the 1960s (source). The way Carol uses it here, it's more like a debutante—a coming of age for Therese, not a "coming out" as a lesbian.

Quote 2

She rolled her eyes. "Incredible. Can anyone still be only twenty-one?" (23.139)

Here we see another old lesbian making a disparaging remark about a young person based purely on their age. Perhaps this is one reason why Therese doesn't go with Genevieve. She's tired of this attitude, so she returns to Carol, who has finally accepted her, despite the age difference.