How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
She pinched her face at this; she was not accustomed to sharing a doorway with servants [...]. Well, times had changed in the Bradfords' absence. (1.1.34)
Before the plague, Elizabeth Bradford had the run of things in Eyam. Things change, however. The plague completely upends the established social order of the village, effectively destroying the distinction between the upper and lower classes. Ol' Lizzy is none too pleased about this.
Quote #2
I can scarce credit that the noble and gentry who so stand upon their superiority to such as we can yet be so base as to make the worst of us seem like angels. (2.2.20)
George Viccars' tales of debauchery in London are shocking to an upstanding young lady like Anna. Though most of that reaction is due to the lurid subject matter, a good chunk of it is based upon it being upper crusters who are acting in such a way. Aristocrats engage in rampant debauchery, and yet they have the nerve to look down on commoners like Anna? That's a bridge too far.
Quote #3
She was a rare creature, Anys Gowdie, and I had to own that I admired her for listening to her own heart rather than having her life ruled by others' conventions. (2.3.25)
Anys refuses to accept the constraints society places on her, especially where gender is concerned. In fact, she's one of Anna's key inspirations in her quest for personal self-discovery, a quest that eventually allows her to redefine her own womanhood outside of sexist limitations. That's a pretty big win, in our book.