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Isabel
Elliott is Isabel’s uncle, Mrs. Bradley’s brother, and an acquaintance of Somerset. Somerset describes Elliott as an unapologetic snob. While Larry seeks meaning through spiritual insight, Elliott thinks the meaning of life resides in social status. To that end, he often cultivates relationships and friendships not out of a sense of genuine warmth or magnanimity but because he hopes that a given person will enable him to climb higher on the ladder of social status. He does the same thing in the Catholic Church, donating ever larger sums of money, essentially bribing them into giving him an aristocratic title, which also provides him with a higher social status. Notably, Somerset sees Elliott’s flaws clearly but stresses that Elliott also has a penchant for genuine generosity. Elliott ends up dying in his mansion with only Somerset by his side. In that moment, Elliott is portrayed as empty and alone, clambering after an invitation to an exclusive party while on the brink of death. With that in mind, the novel argues that Elliott would have done well to focus more on his natural capacity for generosity than on his ego and obsession with social status.
Elliott Quotes in The Razor’s Edge
The The Razor’s Edge quotes below are all either spoken by Elliott or refer to Elliott. 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:
).
Part 1, Chapter 2
Quotes
He had enough to live in what he considered the proper style for a gentleman without trying to earn money, and the method by which he had done so in the past was a matter which, unless you wished to lose his acquaintance, you were wise not to refer to. Thus relieved of material cares he gave himself over to the ruling passion of his life, which was social relationships.
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Part 3, Chapter 5
Quotes
“Well, you know the Duce has been reclaiming great tracts of land in the Pontine Marshes and it was represented to me that His Holiness was gravely concerned at the lack of places of worship for the settlers. So, to cut a long story short, I built a little Romanesque church […] But no one was more surprised than I when shortly afterward it was intimated to me that he [His Holiness] had been pleased to confer a title on me.”
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Part 5, Chapter 3
Quotes
“My dear fellow, at my age one can’t afford to fall out. You don’t think I’ve moved in the highest circles for nearly fifty years without realizing that if you’re not seen everywhere you’re forgotten.”
I wondered if he realized what a lamentable confession he was then making. I had not the heart to laugh at Elliott any more; he seemed to me a profoundly pathetic object. Society was what he lived for, a party was the breath of his nostrils, not to be asked to one was an affront, to be alone was a mortification; and, an old man now, he was desperately afraid.
Part 5, Chapter 9
Quotes
“I shall enter the kingdom of heaven with a letter of introduction from a prince of the Church. I fancy that all doors will be open to me.”
“I’m afraid you’ll find the company very mixed.” I smiled.
[…]
“Believe me, my dear fellow,” he went on after a pause, “there’ll be none of this damned equality in heaven.”
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Elliott Quotes in The Razor’s Edge
The The Razor’s Edge quotes below are all either spoken by Elliott or refer to Elliott. 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:
).
Part 1, Chapter 2
Quotes
He had enough to live in what he considered the proper style for a gentleman without trying to earn money, and the method by which he had done so in the past was a matter which, unless you wished to lose his acquaintance, you were wise not to refer to. Thus relieved of material cares he gave himself over to the ruling passion of his life, which was social relationships.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 3, Chapter 5
Quotes
“Well, you know the Duce has been reclaiming great tracts of land in the Pontine Marshes and it was represented to me that His Holiness was gravely concerned at the lack of places of worship for the settlers. So, to cut a long story short, I built a little Romanesque church […] But no one was more surprised than I when shortly afterward it was intimated to me that he [His Holiness] had been pleased to confer a title on me.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 5, Chapter 3
Quotes
“My dear fellow, at my age one can’t afford to fall out. You don’t think I’ve moved in the highest circles for nearly fifty years without realizing that if you’re not seen everywhere you’re forgotten.”
I wondered if he realized what a lamentable confession he was then making. I had not the heart to laugh at Elliott any more; he seemed to me a profoundly pathetic object. Society was what he lived for, a party was the breath of his nostrils, not to be asked to one was an affront, to be alone was a mortification; and, an old man now, he was desperately afraid.
Part 5, Chapter 9
Quotes
“I shall enter the kingdom of heaven with a letter of introduction from a prince of the Church. I fancy that all doors will be open to me.”
“I’m afraid you’ll find the company very mixed.” I smiled.
[…]
“Believe me, my dear fellow,” he went on after a pause, “there’ll be none of this damned equality in heaven.”
