The Borrowers Society and Class Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

"And just because the Harpsichords lived in the drawing room—they moved there, in 1837, to a hole in the wainscot just behind where the harpsichord used to stand, if ever there was one, which I doubt—and were really a family called Linden-Press or some such name and changed it to Harpsichord." (5.50)

Why does it matter that the Harpsichord family was once called Linden-Press? Does that tell us something about them?

Quote #8

"So you can't be too hard on them; their only comfort, poor things, was to show off a bit and wear evening dress and talk like ladies and gentlemen. Did you ever hear your Aunt Lupy talk?

[…]

"Oh, you should have heard her say "Parquet"—that's the stuff the drawing room floor is made of—"Parquet… Parr-r-kay" she'd say. Oh, it was lovely. Come to think of it, your Aunt Lupy was the most stuck-up of them all. (5.52, 54)

Homily is totally putting down Aunt Lupy. But she also kind of seems to be worshipping her. Uh oh. We smell jealousy. And it does not smell good.

Quote #9

"No one could call me house-proud," said Homily. "You couldn't be, not with my kind of family, but I do like," she said, "to keep nice things nice." (12.3)

You know what the saddest part about this little comment is? Homily is dissing her own family—to their faces! She's basically saying she can't be proud of her house, because her family is nothing but a bunch of Clocks. Not cool, Homily.