Family Quotes in Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

"He was my golden boy, too, when he was little. I'm afraid that Ahmed and I spoiled him terribly." She hugged her book a little tighter to her chest and sighed. "We were not blessed with children of our own, and Abdul Wahid was the very image of my husband when he was small." (5.52)

Mrs. Ali feels closer to Abdul Wahid than most aunts feel to their nephews, since she practically raised him. In fact, she's closer to her nephew than the Major is to his own flesh and blood.

Quote #5

It had been obvious soon after Bertie's marriage that Marjorie had no intention of playing the dutiful daughter-in-law and had sought to separate the two of them from the rest of the family. (7.2)

The Major might be the only person in his family to actually care about his family. His own son has distanced himself, and so has his dead brother's family. That makes the Major very very lonely.

Quote #6

"Oh, Jemima, don't be so rude to your uncle Ernest, dear," said Marjorie. "He is one of our only friends now." (7.34)

Marjorie says this, but she makes no effort to actually treat her brother-in-law as a friend or as family. Her daughter, Jemima, is just as disrespectful.