Peyton Place

“‘Why do I try?’ she wondered. ‘What chance have any of these children to break out of the pattern in which they were born?’”

Miss Thornton, the eighth grade teacher, reflects on the children in her class and her desire to improve their prospects through education. At the same time, she is aware of the rigid social and economic stratifications that tend to predetermine a child’s future based on the family they are born into.

“The biggest houses on Chestnut Street are the emptiest in town.”

This quotation summarizes the gossip about the individuals who live on Chestnut Street, the most prestigious street in Peyton Place. Residents of this street include Dr. Swain, Leslie Harrington, and Seth Buswell; while these residents are wealthy and powerful, very few of them have children. By contrast, the poorer residents of the town tend to have children. This quotation introduces the idea that some of the wealthier characters lack integrity and morality, and also that the balance of power between different residents will shift as time passes.

“‘There is nothing dearer than life, Seth,’ said Dr Swain gruffly. ‘Even the lives being lived in our shacks.’”

Dr. Swain makes this comment to his friend, Seth Buswell, early in the novel, when he rebukes Seth for not valuing the life of the poorer residents of Peyton Place. This quotation reveals Dr. Swain’s strong sense of integrity and morality; it also foreshadows the dilemma he will face when he must decide whether to perform Selena’s abortion.

“Sometimes, when she looked at Nellie, her mother, she thought, I’ll get out. I’ll never be like her.”

This quotation captures Selena’s thoughts early in the novel, as she imagines the future she wants for herself. The quotation captures Selena’s increasing maturity, awareness, and ambitions; while Allison fantasizes about fame and intellectual achievements, Selena focuses on stability and safety. Nonetheless, both girls contrast themselves with their mothers and aspire to different futures, reflecting changing ideals of femininity.

“She did not know it then, but she had just taken the first step in her career.”

This quotation is a narrative interjection; it occurs after Allison talks with Norman Page about the possibility of a haunted house and becomes intrigued by the idea of writing a story based on this idea. The quotation signals that Allison is going to eventually become a writer and that her inspiration will be tied to her experiences growing up in a small town.

“Oh, yes, Mother. I love only you. I love you better than God, even. Say you’re not going to leave me.”

Norman Page speaks this quotation to his mother after she becomes offended and rebukes him. The quotation reveals the intense, cloying, and potentially quasi-incestuous relationship between Norman and his mother. While Norman sometimes strives for independence, he panics at the idea of his mother withdrawing her affections from him. This troubled relationship reflects the motif of dark and warped familial relationships hiding behind closed doors in Peyton Place.

“Very glad to know you, baby. I want to know you a lot better, on a bed, for instance, with that blond hair spread out on a pillow.”

This quotation reveals Tom Makris’s thoughts the first time he glimpses Constance; the quotation makes it clear that he is immediately sexually attracted to her. The quotation is significant because while Tom and Constance will fall in love, sexual desire remains at the core of their relationship and plays a significant part in Constance finally making peace with her past.

“She did not recognize the symptoms in herself as akin to the painful restlessness of adolescence, nor did she admit that the dissatisfied yearning within her could be a sexual one.”

This quotation describes the confusing feelings that Constance begins to experience after meeting Tom Makris. At this time, Constance is so cut off from her emotions and desires that she can’t recognize or accept that Tom has awakened her long repressed sexuality. The quotation also highlights the parallel between what Constance experiences during a midlife sexual awakening and what Allison experiences as she goes through puberty.

“I am protecting life, this life, the one already being lived by Selena Cross.”

This quotation captures Dr. Swain’s reflections as he decides that he will perform the abortion for Selena. Dr. Swain is conflicted about this decision, but he ultimately decides that it is more important for Selena to be able to have a future. His decision reveals the intense social stigma that exists toward illegitimacy in the community and also confirms that Selena would be the one to suffer consequences for Lucas’s actions, even though she has done nothing wrong.

“It is not true that a man can rape a child time after time and then remember these occasions as if they were the loveliest of dreams. It is simply not true. I can no more believe this than I can believe that the Crucifixion was a publicity stunt or that the object of life is death.”

This quotation reveals Dr. Swain’s horror when he confronts Lucas, and Lucas admits unabashedly to sexually abusing his teenage stepdaughter. Dr. Swain disassociates from what he is hearing because it is so contrary to his moral view of the world. The quotation also shows Dr. Swain’s Christian faith, since it alludes to the Christian doctrine that the death of Jesus allows for the possibility of eternal life in heaven. These beliefs anchor Dr. Swain’s moral decisions, but also create conflict for him.

“Here’s a check, John. It’s for five hundred dollars. There’s a note attached to it on which I’ve written the name of a close-mouthed doctor from White River, so that your daughter can get rid of her package.”

Leslie Harrington speaks this quotation to the father of Betty Anderson after Leslie’s son (Rodney) impregnates Betty. Leslie is cold and callous about the situation and exploits the fact that he employs Betty’s father; the quotation shows how wealth and social class largely determine power and interpersonal dynamics within the world of the town, feeding into the theme of The Intersection of Privilege and Protection. Leslie does not have to face issues that inconvenience him—his money and status can help these problems to disappear.

“She had no premonition that this was the last day of her childhood.”

This quotation occurs just before Nellie’s suicide, when Allison is enjoying a happy summer day with Norman. It foreshadows the gruesome and traumatic events that will occur hours later when Allison discovers Nellie’s body, and also abruptly finds out that her parents were never married. The quotation heightens the impression of how much these events impact Allison and how they permanently change her.

“Some women never have enough of one man. And daughters often take after their mothers!”

Evelyn Page (Norman’s mother) speaks this quotation to Constance when they are arguing about their children. When they learn that Norman and Constance have been spending time together alone in the woods, both women assume the teenagers are engaging in sexual activity, and each of them blames the other. Evelyn implies that Allison may be promiscuous and/or sexually aggressive, and that if so, Constance is to blame.

“Without knowing how he knew, Matthew Swain knew that she knew that he lied.”

This quotation occurs when Dr. Swain lies to Selena: He tells her that Nellie did not know about Selena’s pregnancy, but that she took her own life because of a recent cancer diagnosis. The quotation shows that Dr. Swain feels caring and protective towards Selena: He does not want her to blame herself for her mother’s death. At the same time, the quotation also shows that Selena is savvy because of all of the painful experiences she has suffered.

“The difference between a closet skeleton and a scandal, in a small town, is that the former is examined behind barns by small groups who converse over it in whispers, while the latter is looked upon by everyone, on the main street, and discussed in shouts from rooftops.”

This quotation occurs in the aftermath of Nellie’s suicide, when many people in the small community gossip about this shocking event. The quotation reflects on the different types of information that circulate in the community. Nellie and the Cross family suffer because their lives are made very public, but almost everyone in the town has secrets of their own, thematically supporting the theme of Passing Moral Judgment and Hypocrisy.

“All life is like the seasons of the year. It is set in a pattern, like time, and each life follows its own pattern, from spring through winter, to spring again.”

Dr. Swain speaks this quotation to Allison when he visits her in the hospital, in the aftermath of Nellie’s death. Allison is grief-stricken and blames herself for what happened. Dr. Swain offers her a reassuring and hopeful message, drawing on imagery of changing seasons (a reoccurring motif in the novel). Dr. Swain evokes a cyclical process of renewal, which is relevant to Allison’s process of maturation and echoes the philosophy of his Christian beliefs (which promise eternal life after death).

“Kathy fell and her arm came off, just like a toy doll.”

This quotation describes the grotesque accident in which Kathy is maimed while visiting the funhouse at the town carnival in the early autumn of 1939. This accident adds a Gothic element to the novel and reveals how the emotional manipulation and toxicity of the townspeople sometimes parallel the physical injuries and violence that occur.

“For the first time in my life I’m not ashamed afterward.”

This quotation occurs when Constance and Tom have sex after she has told him (and Allison) the truth about her history. Constance experiences a sense of relief and peace once she stops hiding her past, and this manifests as an ability to enjoy sex in a new way.

“It’s a shame though, the way Leslie Harrington got away with it so cheap. His son is a great hand for gettin’ away with things, too.”

This quotation summarizes the gossip that circulates through Peyton Place after Kathy loses a limb in an accident. The town blames Leslie Harrington and is increasingly frustrated with how Leslie uses his wealth and power to evade responsibility. They also connect Leslie’s evasion with Rodney’s failure to take responsibility after getting Betty pregnant, showing that the community is becoming resentful of individuals who have traditionally held power.

“And that’s the way the world ends, thought the doctor, drunkenly trying to remember the last part of the quotation. Something about a whimper, or a whine, or something.”

This quotation occurs shortly before Selena’s trial, as Dr. Swain muses on the tragic events that all stem from Lucas’s abuse and feels guilty about his role. Dr. Swain is haunted by his decision to keep the abuse secret and blames himself for being cowardly and indecisive. The quotation shows Dr. Swain’s deep investment in his moral integrity and also his sophisticated interests, since the quotation alludes to a line from the T. S Eliot poem, “The Hollow Men.”

“I don’t blame her. Lucas Cross needed killing.”

Dr. Swain speaks this quotation when he explains that he has a signed confession in which Lucas admitted to raping Selena. Dr. Swain’s explanation provides important context for why Selena killed her stepfather, and he also endorses her decision. Because Dr. Swain is viewed as a man with a powerful moral compass, his statement that he thinks Selena was justified in her actions makes it much more likely that she will be acquitted.

“It is just there, and it can be good if people just won’t mess it up with reasons and apologies.”

Brad (Allison’s lover) speaks this quotation to her shortly before they have sex for the first time; he describes his attitude towards sexuality, which is casual and pragmatic. Allison initially finds this perspective to be reassuring, in contrast with the way her mother often presented sexuality as a source of shame. However, Brad’s attitude is later revealed to be somewhat callous and self-serving, when it comes to light that he is married and still pursuing an affair with Allison.

“I let everything get too big, too important and world shaking. Only here do I realize the littleness of the things that can touch me.”

Allison speaks this quotation as she muses on the impact of returning to her hometown while grappling with heartbreak. Allison finds the familiarity of Peyton Place comforting, and she finds that the narrow focus of the community helps her to feel more grounded. While Peyton Place has many flaws, this quotation shows that it also provides a sense of community that can have a positive impact for its residents.