Appearances Quotes in The Interestings

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

He had probably reasoned that they were at the same level […] People would accept them as a couple; it made both logical and aesthetic sense. (1.125)

This seems like a ridiculous idea, but is it ever true in real life? Do people of similar levels of beauty really tend to end up together?

Quote #5

At fifty [Ethan] was as deeply homely as he'd been at fifteen, but his curls had thinned out and turned a kind of burned goldish silver, and his homeliness gave him cachet. (3.7)

In this book, appearance and attractiveness (or lack of it) is a kind of currency that can earn—or lose you—prestige.

Quote #6

Robert was small and handsome with spiky black baby-chick hair, and built like a compact action figure. (4.28)

"Baby-chick hair" is not usually something you'd think of to describe a handsome person, but we're assuming it's favorable given the rest of his description.