Emily of Emerald Hill - Usefull Quotes

Hi people :),

Here is my self-study notes about useful quotes that i found which might help you in your coming test. Simple inference are stated below each quote and the page numbers can be found beside it.

1. “I know all your plans when I make my arrangements.” – Pg 5
Reflects the kind of person Emily is. In-charge of everything and a very controlling mother.

2. “Be a good boy and make me proud of you” – Pg 5
Have high expectations for Richard. Wants the best out of Richard

3. “Maybe that boy is not bad, but your mother is not happy.” – Pg 5
Emotional blackmail. Makes Richard feel guilty so that he will oblige her.

4. “So I kept myself busy, running the whole household, looking after all the family.” – Pg 7
Shows that Emily id the boss, she keeps in-charge and everything is under control.

5. “You know how to wash clothes… you do it the way I want.” – Pg 8
Shows that Emily is domineering and she calls the shots. Everyone had to obey her.

6. “So I look after the whole household, and I am the Mistress of Emerald Hill” – Pg 9
Emily is scheming as she climbs all the way to the top of the household.

7. “Coming to a house of women who hated me before they knew my name.” – Pg 9
Emily is strong-willed. She perseveres.

8. “So they tried to bully me but I didn’t cry: I never cried for myself.” – Pg 11
Emily is tolerant, perseverant.

9. “He was the first son of the eldest son.” – Pg 13
Shows the role and importance of Richard.

10. “I got to know ACS headmaster and his wife.” – Pg 14
Emily is sociable and tries to expand her networking/PR.

11. “I’m directing the household” – Pg 14
Emily calls the shots

12. “Those ballet-dancers on the stage, showing half their body naked, stretching their thighs…..”-Pg 15
Emily is traditional. She feels that revealing a little bit of flesh is embarrassing and shameful. She advises Doris to stick to traditional folk-dancing.
13. “Richard come with me. I’ll see to everything you need…just let mother do everything for you” – Pg 16
Emily is doting yet controlling. She makes to best decisions for Richard.

14. “I want you to be happy. And I want you to make mother happy too.” – Pg 16
Emily shows that she makes decisions that makes both parties happy.

15. “You won’t let a good opportunity pass by.” – Pg 16
Actually, Emily is the one that won’t let the opportunity slip away. Scheming.

16. “A woman must look after her husband.” – Pg 17
Traditional thinking. A woman must look after husband no matter what.

17. “You’ll be respected, people will look up to you.” – Pg 17
Social status means a lot to Emily.

18. “…When you get married you must know how to cook and look after you family.” – Pg 17
Shows the role of women in a peranakan home.

19. “You’ll do everything that I want you to do.” – Pg 19
Emily decides everything.

20. “I like to entertain at Emarald Hill.” – Pg 18
Emily is sociable.

21. “All of us daughters-in-law had to help in the kitchen.” – Pg 18
Traditional. Shows the role of women.

22. “he can go straight into your office… in future he’s going to be your boss.” – Pg 20
Emily is efficient/dominating. She plans everything.

23. “I’ve made my otak specially for your sake.” – Pg 21
Emily is trying to curry-favour Mr GP Chee. She wants to get into his good books so that he will employ Richard into his office.

24. “Make mother very proud of you.” – Pg 23
Emily does all the decisions.

25. “What is this wonderful job you have… You trample your mother’s heart…” – Pg 24
Emily makes use of emotional blackmail to make Richard feel guilty and go back to university to study.



26. “Have you got anything in writing… the grounds are neglected, the buildings need repair. When I asked my way here, the place wasn’t well known.” – Pg 25
Emily is street-smart. She makes use of her surroundings to judge whether someone is trustworthy or not.

27. “You will have broken your mother’s heart for nothing.” – Pg 25
Usage of emotional blackmail.

28. “You understand that my plan for you is the best.” – Pg 26
Most parents know what’s the best for their children.

29. “We will look after you Mum… You still have us.” - Pg 27
Shows the strong relationship between Emily and children (Charlie and Doris).

30. “I am so old-fashion. I want to kneel down.” – Pg 33
Emily is traditional and old-fashion. She prefers to stick to old customs and traditions.

31. “Susie sang like a frog.” – Pg 35
She is very critical.

32. “What was Freddy’s position?” – Pg 36
Emily is competitive.

33. “Richard was the eldest son of the eldest son.” – Pg 37
Shows Richard’s placing in the Gan family.

34. “Uncle Ben who plays polo: he’s going to teach you how to ride.” – Pg 37
Emily plans ahead in order to get into father-in-law’s good books.

35. “I am the owner of Emerald Hill.” – Pg 38
Shows how scheming Emily is. After all the planning and curry-favour that she did, she finally made it to the highest-ranked.

36. “No matter what he does, I am still his wife, I must continue and look after him.” – Pg 39
Emily is responsible, faithful and traditional.

37. “I think he wouldn’t have done something like this when Richard was alive.” – Pg 41
Shows the changes to the story that the death of Richard made.

38. “He refused to see his wife.” – Pg 44
Kheong is guilty of what he did and dared not to face his wife. He realised his mistakes and does not have the courage to face Emily. He has let Emily down.



39. “I beg you as your mother… just because you want to escape from me.” – Pg 48
Shows the change in the way Emily handled her children. She used to help Richard make all decisions and forced him to oblige to her. But now she lets Doris do the deciding and gives her a choice.

40. “You believe in small families, better opportunity for them.” – Pg 49
The change in mindset in the nest generation.

41. “I don’t want to rent out… You’ve always been so helpful to me.” – Pg 50
Emily lied to Bee Choo because she does not want Bee Choo to feel that she owes Emily anything. She wants to make this something like a coincidence so that Bee Choo will accept her offer. She is grateful to Bee Choo and uses this to thank her. After all, Bee Choo took her from the gutter and saved her life.

42. “I will find one for you.” – Pg 51
Emily is controlling

43. “In the old days we had big families but nowadays that’s considered very old-fashioned.” – Pg 52
There is a change in the mindset and thinking of the younger generations. The older generations prefer to have bigger families whilst younger generation prefers smaller families.

44. “There are these blocks of flats on every side… with traffic rattling and rapping just where the band used to play… tall apartment blocks press up around the house.” – Pg 52
Urbanization is taking place.

©Cleon