chapter 19

"Perhaps that faculty of unawareness was what gave her eyes their transparenc, and her face the look of representing a type rather than a person; as if she might have been chosen to pose foa Civic Virtue or a Greek goddess"

about May

chapter 21

"he had married (as most young me did) because he had met a perfectly charming girl at the moment where a series of rather aimless sentimental adventures were ending in premature disgust and she had presented peace stability, comradeship and the steadyeyeing sense of an unescapable duty"

chapter 24

"But do you know, they interest me more than the blind conformity to tradition -somebody else's tradition - that I see among our own friends. It seems stupid to have discovered America only make it into a copy of anohter country"/

"What's the use? You have me my first glimpse of a real life, and at the same moment you asked me to go on with a sham one. It's beyond human enduring-that's all."

the way they talk is very coded, it's hard to see what is going on really, you need to try to interpret

chapter 25

"she would go (to europe) only if she felt herself becoming a temptation to Archer, a temptation to fall away from the standard that they had both set pu. Her Choice would be to stay near him as long as he did not ask her to come nearer; and it depended on himself to keep her just there, safe but secluded"

that's a very interesting form of relationship

chapter 27

pparently, Mrs. J. Beaufort had approached her the night before asking if the family could stand up for her during her husband¹s financial crisis. Catherine replies, no! Mrs. Beaufort says "But my name, Auntie, is Regina Dallas, " trying to remind her that prior to her marriage she was a member of one of the most prominent New York families. And Catherine replies, "It was Beaufort when he covered you with jewels, and it¹s got to stay Beaufort now that he¹s covered you with shame." Catherine also requests that Ellen come back from Washington so that she can convince her to return to her husband.

chapter 33

mrs mingott says she thinks olenska wants to leave because fifth avenue is too boring

"It was the old new york way of taking life "without effusion of blood"

"He caught the gillter of vicotry in his wife's eyes, and for the first time understood that seh shared the belief"

"Mind? Why should I? He made a last effort to collect himself. But that was fornight ago, wasn' it? I thought you said you weren't sure till today?"

"Her colour burned deeper, but she held his gaze. No I wasn't sure then- but I tolde her I was. And you see I was right! she exclaimed, her blue eyes wet with victory"

This chapter is a stunning example of May¹s manipulativeness. She is able to end the affair by lying to Ellen and then hold a dinner party in her honor.

the fact that May was able to do this while looking so naive and innocent shows that even though she was bornt innocent, she has been groomed by her family to perform according to society standards

chapter 34

This chapter is written to show, quite ironically, that all the prohibitions that "bent and bound" Newland no longer exist a generation later. His son Dallas is able to live the life that Newland would have lived if he had not had Society choosing the women he mustt marry, the profession he would have, the way he would speak. Dallas makes fun of Newland for living such a life without passion, living in a "deaf and dumb asylum" for so many years. Newland even recognizes that the death of May has liberated him to finally be with his true love, Ellen, but habit has made him a coward and trapped in the same day-to-day life.

But Newland has become so inculcated by his old society values that he can¹t even act when there are no prohibitions.

Now, the theme of the book becomes tricky. Prior to this chapter, one could make an easy case that Society prevented people from realizing their dreams. But now we see, that it is Newland¹s own cowardice that prevents him from being happy. Society becomes just an excuse for why people don¹t seek out their dreams. Beaufort is an example of a man from his own generation who found happiness despite the regulations, his own financial destruction and the disdain of society. Wharton¹s point seems to be that people should not blame their society for their inability to act the rules and norms of society change rapidly, so it is only one¹s personal standards that can be constant and abided by.