How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"They have," Serena said, "but they're too timid. There are no roads. Miles that never have been mapped. A country big as the United States, and it will be ours." (17.47)
When Pemberton mentions that it's weird that no one's ever thought of timber in Brazil before, Serena responds by saying this. Again, she doesn't care about nature or the value of the trees in tact. All she sees are dollar signs.
Quote #8
"I see it as a rather impressive way to leave one's mark on the world," Webb said, "not so different from the great pharaohs' pyramids."
"There are better ways," Serena said, lifting Pemberton's hand in hers to rub the varnished mahogany.
"Right, Pemberton." Mrs. Webb spoke for the first time. "Yes, like helping make a national park possible." (24.93-95)
Legacy is an important concept to both Serena and Webb, just in very different ways. To Webb, the national park is a legacy that everyone can enjoy because it allows everyone to notice the beauty in nature. To Serena, making as much money as possible is a legacy in itself.
Quote #9
"We'll have every tree in the tract cut down by then," Serena said.
"Perhaps," Webb admitted, "and it may take forty or fifty years before that forest will grow back. But when it does, it will be part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park." (24.127)
Serena has no problem tearing down trees to make some dough—it's all about the money for her—but her confrontation with Mrs. Webb shows that not everyone thinks the timber business is so freaking amazing.