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Claud Walsingham Popple
Mrs. Heeny is a masseuse who in many ways acts as a surrogate parental figure to Undine Spragg in New York City, since Undine’s mother, Mrs. Spragg, doesn’t understand the nuances of Fifth Avenue high society. While Mrs. Heeny is herself more of an observer than a member of high society, her obsession with saving newspaper clippings (especially from the society pages) gives her a solid understanding of how the New York social world moves. She kickstarts Undine’s social ambitions, encouraging her to try to improve her status. Mrs. Heeny lives out her own fantasies of social climbing vicariously through Undine.
Mrs. Heeny Quotes in The Custom of the Country
The The Custom of the Country quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Heeny or refer to Mrs. Heeny. 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
It had become clear to Undine that Mabel Lipscomb was ridiculous. That was the reason why Popple did not come to the box. No one would care to be seen talking to her while Mabel was at her side. […] She had a way of trumpeting out her ignorances that jarred on Undine’s subtler methods. It was precisely at this point that there dawned on Undine what was to be one of the guiding principles of her career: “It’s better to watch than to ask questions.”
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Chapter 26
Quotes
Undine, without answering, caught up the pearls and thrust them into
Mrs. Heeny’s hands.
“Good land alive!” The masseuse dropped into a chair and let the twist slip through her fat flexible fingers. “Well, you got a fortune right round your neck whenever you wear them, Undine Spragg.”
Undine murmured something indistinguishable. “I want you to take them—” she began.
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Mrs. Heeny Quotes in The Custom of the Country
The The Custom of the Country quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Heeny or refer to Mrs. Heeny. 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
It had become clear to Undine that Mabel Lipscomb was ridiculous. That was the reason why Popple did not come to the box. No one would care to be seen talking to her while Mabel was at her side. […] She had a way of trumpeting out her ignorances that jarred on Undine’s subtler methods. It was precisely at this point that there dawned on Undine what was to be one of the guiding principles of her career: “It’s better to watch than to ask questions.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26
Quotes
Undine, without answering, caught up the pearls and thrust them into
Mrs. Heeny’s hands.
“Good land alive!” The masseuse dropped into a chair and let the twist slip through her fat flexible fingers. “Well, you got a fortune right round your neck whenever you wear them, Undine Spragg.”
Undine murmured something indistinguishable. “I want you to take them—” she began.
