How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
But she felt a proud woman. When she met well-dressed ladies going home to the Park, she thought to herself:
"Yes, you look very well—but I wonder if your son has two first prizes in the Castle." (8.102-8.103)
We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Mrs. Morel invests her sense of pride in the success of Paul's paintings. For her, Paul's expertise in a culture is the great leveler; it makes her just as good as any of the women she passes on the street. (Right.)
Quote #8
Miriam seemed as in some dreamy tale, a maiden in bondage, her spirit dreaming in a land far away and magical. And her discoloured, old blue frock and her broken boots seemed only like the romantic rags of Kin Cophuetua's beggar-maid. (7.28)
Miriam has never really gotten used to the fact that she lives on a farm and spends her days milking cows. The books she's read have gone to her head, and she likes to think of herself as a princess who's being kept in slavery. She's just toiling away, waiting for a white knight to discover who she really is. Get a grip, girl. Paul ain't no knight in shining armor, that's for sure.
Quote #9
She could not be princess by wealth or standing. So she was mad to have learning wereon to pride herself. For she was different from other folk, and must not be scooped up among the common fry. (7.3)
Miriam realizes that she might never be rich. But one way she can make herself appear more princess-like is to read books and get all cultured. What she fears most is being average. She's willing to do almost anything to avoid this terrible, horrible fate. In that way, she's like most angsty teenagers, really.