How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #7
With the loneliness of one who has put away a possible love Carol saw that he was a stranger. (16.5.17)
Yup, it's a chapter later, and Carol has decided that she doesn't love her husband, after all. She feels totally estranged from him, because the two of them are just very different people who aren't on the same page about anything. Well, that's a good enough reason, we guess.
Quote #8
Vida insisted that she loved Carol, but with some satisfaction she compared her to these traducers of the town. (21.1.35)
Vida Sherwin likes to think that she loves Carol… but she also likes to see Carol fail. Maybe it's because Vida once loved Carol's husband Will. Who knows? All we know is that Vida has a love and a hate for Carol that's difficult to untangle. Frenemies for life!
Quote #9
"Am I falling in love with this boy? That's ridiculous! I'm merely interested in him." (29.5.3)
Carol realizes at one point that she has a romantic attraction to the young tailor's assistant, Erik Valbourg. Part of her knows that the attraction isn't really that big a deal, but her life feels so empty and unfulfilling that she can't help but give into the thought of romance between them.