Franny and Zooey Society and Class Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Story.Section.Paragraph)

Quote #1

Lane, who knew Sorenson only slightly but had a vague, categorical aversion to his face and manner, put away his letter and said that he didn't know but that he thought he'd understood most of it. "You're lucky," Sorenson said. "You're a fortunate man." His voice carried with a minimum of vitality, as though he had come over to speak to Lane out of boredom or restiveness, not for any sort of human discourse. (Franny.1.7)

There is a phoniness and shallowness to most social interactions (outside of the very genuine Glass family) in this text.

Quote #2

Lane had sampled his, then sat back and briefly looked around the room with an almost palpable sense of well-being at finding himself (he must have been sure no one could dispute) in the right place with an unimpeachably right-looking girl – a girl who was not only extraordinarily pretty but, so much the better, not too categorically cashmere sweater and flannel skirt. (Franny.2.1)

This is the problem with Lane and Franny's relationship. He likes her because she's the right kind of girl for him to be seen with; not because of who Franny actually is.

Quote #3

Lane was speaking now as someone does who has been monopolizing conversation for a good quarter of an hour or so and who believes he has just hit a stride where his voice can do absolutely no wrong. (Franny.2.2)

This is the sort of ego that Franny so despises.