How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"But don't you sort of hate to have people see him around here, Alexandra?" she went on with persuasive smoothness. "He is a disgraceful object, and you're fixed up so nice now. It sort of makes people distant with you, when they never know when they'll hear him scratching about." (2.3.11)
Annie Lee is pretty blunt when it comes to Ivar. It's not just that she fears for her safety and the safety of Alexandra, or of others. She makes it clear that she thinks Ivar will ruin Alexandra's social reputation and make people "distant" with her—pushing her further into social isolation.
Quote #5
"But they are different, and now that they have farms of their own I do not see so much of them. We divided the land equally when Lou married. They have their own way of doing things, and they do not altogether like my way, I am afraid. Perhaps they think me too independent. But I have had to think for myself a good many years and am not likely to change." (2.4.10)
Just as Alexandra is aware of the class difference that separates her family from many of the other families on the Divide, she's also aware of the differences that set her apart from her own brothers, as well. And maybe, just maybe, she feels a touch of superiority in both cases…
Quote #6
Carl shook his head mournfully. "Freedom so often means that one isn't needed anywhere. Here you are an individual, you have a background of your own, you would be missed. But off there in the cities there are thousands of rolling stones like me. We are all alike; we have no ties, we know nobody, we own nothing. When one of us dies, they scarcely know where to bury him." (2.4.23)
Carl is clear on one thing: he's definitely not into city living. In the big city, he felt cut off from his roots, from a community. He felt totally alone and anonymous. What he's talking about here is something that's really taking hold in Cather's time—mass society.