How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #7
We drift past the show windows of Fabergé whose mineral monstrosities, jeweled troykas poised on marble ostrich eggs, and the like, highly appreciated by the imperial family, were emblems of grotesque garishness to ours. (5.5.10)
With all of their houses and baubles, it can be easy to forget that the Nabokovs are rich but still mindful of the country's economic condition. Showiness is thought of as not only a character flaw, but also an injustice. It is worth thinking about, however: the Nabokovs had their limits, but they still had plenty of wealth. Given their politics, why do you think they maintained their high-class life?
Quote #8
He complained to my mother that Sergey and I were little foreigners, freaks, fops, snobï, "pathologically indifferent," as he put it... (8.2.6)
Lenski is a good stand-in for any radical folk who might take exception to Vladimir's father speaking out for one way of life while conducting his own in another. And Vladimir is much more conservative than his father. He loves the comforts of his life, and finds international texts quite romantic.
Quote #9
Strange to say, she was the first to have the poignant power, by merely not letting her smile fade, of burning a hole in my sleep and jolting me into clammy consciousness, whenever I dreamed of her, although in real life I was even more afraid of being revolted by her dirt-caked feet and stale-smelling clothes… (10.4.2)
Vladimir may have a crush on Polenka, the head coachman's daughter, but it's her untouchable, romanticized ideal he's after. In real life, she's a peasant girl, and her realities are way less appetizing to hoity-toity Vlad.