Previous

"They seem to be in a conspiracy to persecute you," she said. "What does it mean?" "Only the protest of the world, Miss Verinder—on a very small scale—against anything that is new.'"

These quotations are from a conversation between Ezra Jennings and Rachel Verinder in the Fourth Narrative of the Second Period. Rachel questions Jennings about the reticence of the household staff, Mr. Bruff, and others, toward him. Jennings's reply gestures immediately to his role as imaginative experimenter—the other, more "English," characters are resistant to new, seemingly mystical (until proven), ideas in science. Rachel, however, also seems to be asking to the reaction of others to Jennings's strange appearance. Jennings's reply thus speaks also to the fear of anything that is different from the status quo, such as people of other colors, appearances, religions, or races.

Previous section Important Quotes Explained Page 4

Popular pages: The Moonstone

Take a Study Break