How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
[…] we were ambitious, in a way that would have been unusual a generation before, to serve gentlemen who were, so to speak, furthering the progress of humanity. (4.2)
Stevens distinguishes his generation from his father's by stressing how important a gentleman's moral character is.
Quote #5
Butlers of my father's generation, I would say, tended to see the world in terms of a ladder […]. Our generation, I believe it is accurate to say, viewed the world not as a ladder, but more as a wheel. (4.4)
Stevens's father's generation saw the world as having a clear hierarchy, with the gentlemen at the top and the ordinary people toward the bottom. Stevens believes his generation views the world as a wheel, where one's value is determined by how close one is to the hub of influence, not by one's social standing. Ooh, Stevens just reinvented the wheel.
Quote #6
"[…] There are many thing you and I are simply not in a position to understand concerning, say, the nature of Jewry. Whereas his lordship, I might venture, is somewhat better placed to judge what is for the best." (6.27)
Cringe—this is not one of Stevens's finer moments. It's an instance when Stevens's trust in Lord Darlington's judgment is seriously misplaced.