How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
A lake view! Just wait until those so-called friends of hers with their classy houses see this place. (1.22)
Well, from this we learn that a nice house is good, but a lake view's better. Someone like Grace is constantly measuring herself against her friends and making choices based not just on what she wants, but what she thinks will most impress other people. What's troubling, too, is that even Grace admits her friends aren't really even good friends. It makes us wonder why she's going to all this trouble to impress them.
Quote #2
"The front apartments are taken," Barney Northrup said. "Besides, the rent's too steep for a secretary's salary. Believe me, you get the same luxuries here at a third of the price." (1.16)
Barney's sales pitch preys on ideas many of us share—get the expensive benefits the wealthy enjoy without having to pay as much for them. This combination of apparent high class and bargain pricing works extremely well, and it doesn't hurt that Barney seems to have an uncanny understanding of each potential tenant's financial status.
Quote #3
"Otis Amber is a stupid man, if not downright mad." J. J. Ford hurried into the elevator. She should not have said that, not her, not the first black, the first woman, to have been elected to a judgeship in the state. (3.40)
The judge has broken through several glass ceilings, which can be a hefty burden to bear. As a person of color and a woman, she has had to endure being the "first" to accomplish many milestones. This could be a really positive thing, but the judge doesn't always treat it as such. These achievements seem to weigh her down with ideas about how she should behave and responsibilities she holds as a kind of role model.