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Anita Proteus is Paul’s wife. Unlike Paul, Anita never went to college, and Paul believes this is why she vehemently detests the people on the other side of the river (people who, like her, didn’t go to college). In Paul’s mind, Anita resents these people because she fears that she herself would be living amongst them if she hadn’t married Paul. They first met during the war, when Anita worked as Paul’s secretary at the Ilium Works. They slept together after an office party celebrating the end of the war, leading Anita to believe she was pregnant with Paul’s child. Because of this, she and Paul got married, though they later discovered she wasn’t actually pregnant—in fact, Anita and Paul have never been able to have children together. All the same, Paul is more or less happy in his marriage, even if Anita seems overly concerned with his reputation and social status. She constantly urges Paul to do whatever he can to advance his career, even trying to compensate for his apathy by speaking to people like Kroner (his boss) on his behalf. In this spirit, she has frequent conversations with Lawson Shepherd, Paul’s second-in-command, apparently paying no attention to the fact that Shepherd clearly wants to undermine Paul. To that end, as soon as Paul loses his job at Ilium Works, it emerges that Anita and Shepherd are having an affair, and Anita announces her intention to marry Shepherd, perfectly exemplifying how she prioritizes power, status, and success over all else.
Anita Proteus Quotes in Player Piano
The Player Piano quotes below are all either spoken by Anita Proteus or refer to Anita Proteus. 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 18
Quotes
Of all the people on the north side of the river, Anita was the only one whose contempt for those in Homestead was laced with active hatred. She was also the only wife on the north side who had never been to college at all. The usual attitude of the Country Club set toward Homesteaders was contempt, all right, but it had an affectionate and amused undertone, the same sort of sentiment felt by most for creatures of the woods and fields. Anita hated Homesteaders.
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Anita Proteus Quotes in Player Piano
The Player Piano quotes below are all either spoken by Anita Proteus or refer to Anita Proteus. 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 18
Quotes
Of all the people on the north side of the river, Anita was the only one whose contempt for those in Homestead was laced with active hatred. She was also the only wife on the north side who had never been to college at all. The usual attitude of the Country Club set toward Homesteaders was contempt, all right, but it had an affectionate and amused undertone, the same sort of sentiment felt by most for creatures of the woods and fields. Anita hated Homesteaders.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock explanations and citation info for this and every other Player Piano quote.
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