“But we want young men. Romance. Love and things.”
Kate is conservative and still holds on to her religious teachings even though she wishes to explore the world of love and romance. Contrary to Baba, Kate is a hopeless romantic and harbors superficial ideas about love and the perfect young man. The assertion expresses the innocent manner in which she views the world and relationships, in that she dreams for the perfect romance. While she gets this with Eugene according to her, the romance does not end up being what she actually envisioned beforehand.
“We want to live. Drink gin. Squeeze into the front of big cars and drive up outside hotels. We want to go places. Not to sit in this damp dump.”
On the other hand, Baba is much more free-spirited and willing to explore sexually with multiple partners rather than falling love. Baba advises Kate towards going after the older men who have riches, unlike their younger counterparts who have less to offer. She feels more restrained and repressed than Kate does since she is not as religiously committed. The quotation expresses what she desires which particularly involves more of sexual exploration than seeking a perfect man to love.
