How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
And yet the familiarity that had once drawn her to him has begun to keep her at bay. Though she knows it's not his fault, she can't help but associate him, at times, with a sense of resignation, with the very life she has resisted, has struggled so mightily to leave behind. (9.17)
Gogol's intuition isn't off base. We know that Moushumi really wanted to distance herself from her parents, and now, with Gogol, she resents the fact that her marriage is the perfect example of what her parents wanted for her.
Quote #8
She accused him of nothing, but more and more he sensed her distance, her dissatisfaction, her distraction […] "Are you happy you married me?" he would ask. But the fact that he is even thinking of this question makes him afraid. (11.4)
Moushumi's unhappiness in their marriage is apparent in her total lack of enthusiasm. Notice that we don't even get to hear her answer to Gogol's question. That's not a very good sign, now is it?
Quote #9
They are not willing to accept, to adjust, to settle for something less than their ideal of happiness. (12.3)
Ashima is thinking here of Gogol's divorce from Moushumi. Which brings up the question, does having an ideal of happiness actually cause unhappiness because it leads to disappointed hopes? Should characters learn to settle?