How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I am much of what [...] my grandparents were—inherited stature, coloring, brains [...] and moral errors that I defend as if they were personal and not familial. (1.1.3)
It's immediately clear that Lyman is trying to work through some serious family issues by writing this book about his grandparents. Although we don't yet know the nature of these "moral errors" that bother him so much, we sure hope he manages to figure them out when everything is said and done.
Quote #2
She loved to have him stretch out beside her in the evening [...] He looked upon the baby with awe, and handled him as if he might break. (2.5.46)
At first, Susan and Oliver have the perfect little family. They have a happy marriage. They have a brand-new baby boy. They even have an adorable little house. It's like a dream. But here's the unfortunate thing about dreams—they all eventually end.
Quote #3
"Of course you make the decisions. You tell him how life is to go. If you didn't you'd be up in the Andes right now." (3.4.9)
Although she doesn't realize it, Susan is the real boss of the Ward family. This realization upsets her, not simply because she had assumed that her marriage was perfectly balanced, but also because it forces her to make some important decisions about her family's future.