Arrowsmith Family Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Section.Paragraph)

Quote #1

"Got any cash outside your school-money?"
"I have not!"
"Thought so! How juh expect to support a wife?" (9.3.36-38)

When Martin decides to marry Leora, his biggest obstacle is Leora's family—especially her brother Bertie. This guy has no time for anyone who doesn't have a steady income and good prospects for the future. Even Martin—a med school student—doesn't make the grade as far as ol' Bertie's concerned.

Quote #2

"I don't believe in interfering with anybody else's doings, or anybody interfering with mine […] but I'll be blamed if I'm going to allow a fellow that I don't know anything about to come snooping around My Sister till I find out something about his prospects!" (9.3.43)

Leora's brother Bertie claims that he likes to stay out of people's business, but getting into people's business seems to be the only thing he does in this book. To be fair, he's just trying to be a good brother and to protect his sister from a bad marriage. But he tends to go over the top when he makes demands on Martin. If we all waited until we had total financial security before getting married, many of us would wait until our mid-forties… or forever.

Quote #3

The conference lasted till nine-thirty, which, as Mr. Tozer pointed out, was everybody's bedtime. (9.3.51)

There's no getting around it: Martin finds his in-laws completely suffocating. They meddle in nearly every aspect of his life, and even tell him when to go to bed. That's not exactly what you want to deal with when you're about to become a doctor.