How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Pemberton knew other aspects of Serena's appearance helped foster Buchanan and Wilkie's obvious surprise—pants and boots instead of a dress and cloche hat, sun-bronzed skin that belied Serena's social class, lips and cheeks untinted by rouge, hair blonde and thick but cut short in a bob, distinctly feminine yet also austere. (1.28)
Notice how—even with the focus on Serena's gender—her class is still mentioned. When we first meet her, we're told about her social class just to make sure we don't get confused about where she hails from. Something tells us we never would have second guessed her, though, no matter her class origins.
Quote #2
"You're a lucky man then," Serena said to Harmon. "You'll not find a better sire to breed her with. The size of her belly attests to that." (1.58)
The word "sire" jumps out at us and makes us think of dogs. As Serena tells Rachel how, um, lucky she is to have slept with Pemberton, we can't help but notice how much of her comments are classist. Rachel's only lucky because she's lower class and landed a rich upperclassman.
Quote #3
"Here," Serena said, holding the knife by the blade. "By all rights it belongs to my husband. It's a fine knife, and you can get a good price for it if you demand one. And I would," she added. "Sell it, I mean. That money will help when the child is born. It's all you'll ever get from my husband and me." (1.86)
How kind of Serena… not. She tosses the knife to Rachel as charity so she can afford to eat and feed her baby. Again we're asked to think about the class distinction between these two women here. Serena and Pemberton can afford to buy new land, while Rachel considers pawning her dad's knife to survive.