How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #1
Everybody else said of her: "She is such a good mother. She adores her children." Only she herself, and her children themselves, knew it was not so. (1)
Hester publically overcompensates for her indifference to her children, which is obvious to the children, but not to anybody outside the family. Sounds like Hester's a tough nut to crack.
Quote #2
The children could hear it all the time, though nobody ever said it aloud. (5)
The children can sense their parents' constant anxiety over money, even though the adults try to cover it up with expensive toys. Too bad the house is such a blabber, whispering to the kids and all.
Quote #3
The boy saw she did not believe him: or rather, that she paid no attention to his assertion. This angered him somewhere, and made him want to compel her attention. (40)
For Paul, his mother's attention is simply an acknowledgment that he exists. He needs her attention; otherwise, he feels invisible.