How we cite our quotes: (Part.Paragraph)
Quote #7
He managed to let her know that he meant more than he said, that he was suggesting it might be hard [...] having a daughter who would take a man home to her room for the night. (3.876)
Oh no—it seems like Father Flood has somehow heard that Eilis slept with Tony. While this might not seem like a big deal today, it would have been a pretty big scandal in the period that Brooklyn take place in. For her part, Eilis feels guilty, not because she thinks that she shouldn't have done it, but because she knows that it will damage her reputation.
Quote #8
How easy would it be to divorce someone? [...] The only divorced people anyone in the town knew were Elizabeth Taylor and [...] other film stars. (4.218)
While we're not entirely convinced that Eilis and Tony should rush into a divorce, we definitely empathize with her here. Could you imagine living in a time when you'd be ostracized for getting a divorce? Sheesh—the only people we're judgmental about are judgmental people.
Quote #9
He was, she thought, good, and he was also wise and clever in certain ways, but he was conservative. He liked his position in the town. (4.264)
Although Eilis' feelings towards Jim Farrell are very real, she knows that he'd flip his lid if he found out the truth about her. Her being married (to an Italian, of all people) would be a huge scandal that would damage his reputation. Love goes a long way, but not that far.