How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #1
The mother had a small income, and the father had a small income, but not nearly enough for the social position which they had to keep up. (3)
Oh, the horror! This bit tells us that the Cresswell family likes to spend more than they earn, and hints at the unhappiness that comes from this sort of discrepancy.
Quote #2
And so the house came to be haunted by the unspoken phrase, There must be more money! There must be more money! (5)
Everything in the house whispers this phrase, suggesting that no amount of money is enough; money only inspires the desire for more money.
Quote #3
"Oh!" said Paul vaguely. I thought when Uncle Oscar said filthy lucker it meant money."
"Filthy lucre does mean money," said the mother. "But it's lucre, not luck" (15-6)
The pun on luck/lucre here suggests that luck is equated with wealth.
Quote #4
"If you're rich, you may lose your money. But if you're lucky, you will always get more money." (18)
The whole story tests this notion of this sentiment; is Paul really lucky when he dies in the end?
Quote #5
"Bassett is lucky, and you must be lucky, because it was your ten shillings I started winning with…" (113)
Paul takes his mother's words on luck quite literally, and Uncle Oscar is onto his scheme.
Quote #6
"And then the house whispers like people laughing at you behind your back. It's awful, that is! I thought if I was lucky –" (157)
It's almost as if his parents' anxieties about money become intensified into full-blown obsessions when transferred to their son.
Quote #7
As his mother read it, her face hardened and became more expressionless. Then a cold, determined look came on her mouth. (171)
Money is dehumanizing, as this reference to Hester's stone-like quality emphasizes (compare with Quote #10 under "Family").
Quote #8
Then something very curious happened. The voices in the house suddenly went mad, like a chorus of frogs on a spring evening. There were certain new furnishings, and Paul had a tutor. (181)
Poor Paul. His earnings haven't helped the money situation at home at all; it's only spurred more expensive tastes and made the voices louder.
Quote #9
He studied away at his Latin and Greek, with his tutor. But his intense hours were spent with Bassett. (182)
Paul is studying to attend Eton, an elite school, in order to become a gentleman like his father. Ironically, it's gambling with the working-class Bassett that helps him maintain that lifestyle for himself and his family.