How we cite our quotes: (Volume.Book.Chapter.Line)
Quote #4
She saw, and she blushed to see, that if, in contrast with some of its old aspects, life now affected her as a dress successfully 'done up,' this was a matter of ribbons and silk trimmings and lace, was a matter of ribbons and silk and velvet. (1.1.2.3)
Kate's miserable upbringing has caused her to take a fairly cynical approach to the world. She's been taught to think of herself as just a pretty face. As a result of this she thinks of value in terms of surface appearance. A life of luxury has affected her in the way that a really pretty dress would: it's made her more attractive. In Kate's skewed perspective of the world, this means that wealth has made her more intrinsically valuable.
Quote #5
It was a little the fault of his aspect, his personal marks, which made it almost impossible to name his profession." (1.2.1.1)
Merton Densher is a handsome guy. But in a town where appearances mean everything, he is strangely difficult to pin down. You'd be able to tell a banker by his suit and watch, or a Catholic priest by his collar. But Merton has a way of dressing and acting that makes his profession tough to peg. This, as you can imagine, is a reflection of his overall personality. Merton doesn't fit into cookie-cutter categories.
Quote #6
"It's a perpetual sound in my ears. It makes me ask myself if I've any right to personal happiness, any right to anything but to be as rich and overflowing, as smart and shining, as I can be made." (1.2.1.58).
Kate sometimes feels so bad about herself that she can't believe she deserves any happiness at all. When you have a dad as jerky and selfish as Lionel, it's difficult to think of your personal happiness as something that matters. Instead, Kate has been raised to believe that her worth lies in being a rich, entertaining hostess.