How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #4
How charmingly, how meaningfully she could raise the wineglass to her lips, secretly drinking to the health of a third party as she looked through her lashes at the one who had confided in her. How she loved to sit in the corner of the sofa, discussing with this person or that somebody else's affairs of the heart, the oscillation of chances, the probability of a declaration—all this indirectly, by hints—and how understandingly her eyes would smile, pure, wide-open eyes with barely noticeable freckles on the thin, faintly bluish skin underneath and around them. (8)
Compare this quote with the one before it. Here Olga seems almost desperate for the attention of her fellow partygoers. There, she is too lazy to even put away flowers she receives. What gives?
Quote #5
But as for herself, no one fell in love with her. (8)
For us, this is no big life deal, but for Olga this is a problem. Without a husband, most women during her time would be very poor. So this isn't just a romance issue, it's a finance issue. Although, you know, romance would be nice.
Quote #6
With his arrival Olga became difficult. Listless and irritable, she did all the wrong things and she knew that they were wrong. When the conversation turned to old Russia (Vera tried to make her show off her past), it seemed to her that everything she said was a lie and that everyone understood that it was a lie, and therefore she stubbornly refused to say the things that Vera was trying to extract from her and in general would not cooperate in any way. (14)
What is up with Olga? She was fine, but then once Forstmann arrives, she starts acting all weird. What do you think is her problem?