How we cite our quotes: (Part.Paragraph)
Quote #1
She had a sense too [...] that, while the boys and girls from the town who had gone to England did ordinary work for ordinary money, people who went to America could become rich. (1.188)
Do you think this is accurate, or is Eilis just fooling herself? It certainly seems like it could be true, as Eilis does indeed quickly move up the ranks of her job after she moves to America. On the other hand, this might just be great marketing—after all, the best way to convince new people to come to your country is to make their future there sound amazing.
Quote #2
Even the notepaper itself seemed [...] more promising than anything of its kinds she had seen before. (1.196)
Even American paper seems to be more optimistic than Irish paper. Weird. If nothing else, this shows how excited Eilis is becoming about the prospect of starting a new life in America.
Quote #3
Her mind moved [...] towards the thought that she was going to lose this world for ever [...] that the rest of her life would be a struggle with the unfamiliar. (1.221)
While the thought of starting over in America is exhilarating, it also forces Eilis to say goodbye to her future in Ireland. She had always just assumed that she would grow up and live a life not unlike her mother's, staying in the same town, and seeing the same people. Suddenly, however, that future isn't quite so guaranteed.