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Edith
Grace is Stoner and Edith’s daughter. For much of Grace’s childhood, Edith does not act as a mother to her, which leads Grace to feel quite attached to Stoner. She spends much of her childhood in Stoner’s study rather than playing with children her age. However, when Grace grows older, Edith deliberately tries to place a wedge between Grace and Stoner. She forces Grace to spend time with other people her age and often sends her out of the house. By the time she is in high school, Grace is out late all of the time, often drinking with her friends. She attends the University of Missouri briefly but drops out after becoming pregnant and getting married. However, her husband is killed in World War II shortly after the wedding. For the most part, Grace is an absent mother. She regularly leaves her child with her in-laws and spends her time drinking instead. Toward the end of Stoner’s life, Grace becomes more open with him and willing to talk about her shortcomings.
Grace Quotes in Stoner
The Stoner quotes below are all either spoken by Grace or refer to Grace. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 5
Quotes
So for the first year of her life, Grace Stoner knew only her father’s touch, and his voice, and his love.
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Chapter 7
Quotes
He was ready to admit to himself that he had not been a good teacher. Always, from the time he had fumbled through his first classes of freshman English, he had been aware of the gulf that lay between what he felt for his subject and what he delivered in the classroom. He had hoped that time and experience would repair the gulf; but they had not done so. Those things that he held most deeply were most profoundly betrayed when he spoke of them to his classes; what was most alive withered in his words; and what moved him most became cold in its utterance. And the consciousness of his inadequacy distressed him so greatly that the sense of it grew habitual, as much a part of him as the stoop of his shoulders.
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Chapter 8
Quotes
“I’ve never wanted to admit it to myself,” he said with something like tranquility, “but you really do hate me, don’t you, Edith?”
“What?” The amazement in her voice was genuine. “Oh, Willy!” She laughed clearly and unrestrainedly. “Don’t be foolish. Of course not. You’re my husband.”
“Don’t use the child.” He could not keep his voice from trembling. “You don’t have to any longer; you know that. Anything else. But if you keep on using Grace, I’ll—" He did not finish.
After a moment Edith said, “You’ll what?” She spoke quietly and without challenge. “All you could do is leave me, and you’d never do that. We both know it.”
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Grace Quotes in Stoner
The Stoner quotes below are all either spoken by Grace or refer to Grace. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 5
Quotes
So for the first year of her life, Grace Stoner knew only her father’s touch, and his voice, and his love.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7
Quotes
He was ready to admit to himself that he had not been a good teacher. Always, from the time he had fumbled through his first classes of freshman English, he had been aware of the gulf that lay between what he felt for his subject and what he delivered in the classroom. He had hoped that time and experience would repair the gulf; but they had not done so. Those things that he held most deeply were most profoundly betrayed when he spoke of them to his classes; what was most alive withered in his words; and what moved him most became cold in its utterance. And the consciousness of his inadequacy distressed him so greatly that the sense of it grew habitual, as much a part of him as the stoop of his shoulders.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8
Quotes
“I’ve never wanted to admit it to myself,” he said with something like tranquility, “but you really do hate me, don’t you, Edith?”
“What?” The amazement in her voice was genuine. “Oh, Willy!” She laughed clearly and unrestrainedly. “Don’t be foolish. Of course not. You’re my husband.”
“Don’t use the child.” He could not keep his voice from trembling. “You don’t have to any longer; you know that. Anything else. But if you keep on using Grace, I’ll—" He did not finish.
After a moment Edith said, “You’ll what?” She spoke quietly and without challenge. “All you could do is leave me, and you’d never do that. We both know it.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
