How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Adam smiled. "We had a farm in Connecticut," he said. "For six generations we dug stones out. One of the first things I remember is sledding stones over to the walls. I thought that was the way all farms were. It's strange to me and almost sinful here." (15.3.26)
Wow—the East doesn't sound very fun, though it does sound super barren. Imagine if your first memory was of rocks. That's… awful. Compare this to the ridiculous breadbasket that is California, where orange juice flows from the kitchen tap and the roads are made of arugula and grapes are used for currency. We know where we'd rather be.
Quote #5
"It's two volumes by a man the world is going to hear from. You can start reading if you want and it will raise up your lid a little. It's called The Principles of Psychology and it's by an Eastern man named William James. No relative to the train robber." (17.2.40)
Future philosophers, take note. William James is what you might call a big deal. Ever hear of stream-of-consciousness? Or pragmatism? Those were both him. Note how Samuel specifies that James is an Eastern man. On the East Coast, the name James would evoke the philosopher, because that was the center of intellectual life in the United States, but in the West, where everyone starts brawls in saloons and rustles cattle, it makes people think of Jesse James. William James was actually related to another famous James, the writer Henry James, who lived even farther east, all the way across the pond in Europe.
Quote #6
How was Mrs. Trask?
Quiet, lackadaisical, like most rich Eastern women (Liza had never known a rich Eastern woman), but on the other hand docile and respectful. (17.4.9-10)
Hey there, preconceived notions—we knew you were hiding out here somewhere. Liza clearly sees herself as the opposite of a quiet, lackadaisical rich Easterner (as in the East Coast of the U.S.), which would mean that Western women must be loud, energetic, and poor. Think stereotypes: the East has cities of art and culture like New York and Boston, while the West has… farms, mainly. But Liza still manages to make it superior.