How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"The string between them grew incredibly long, so long it had to be extended with many other strings tied together." (11.26)
People being separated from each other as the Sixth Borough floats away go to great lengths (ha!) to stay in communication with one another. But the farther away people get, the harder it is to communicate. This must have been in the days before WhatsApp.
Quote #8
"I not know was New York. In Chinese, ny mean 'you.' Thought was 'I love you.'" (13.63)
Fo Black makes a humorous miscommunication error, wearing an I ♥ NY shirt, thinking the shirt just means "you" instead of a city. It's sweet, and his meaning kind of makes more sense. Shouldn't we love the people in a city more than the city itself?
Quote #9
"He told me to go up to the observation deck of the Empire State Building, and as he walked around New York, he'd occasionally shine the light up at me so I could see where he was." (13.108)
Ruth Black's husband had a way to communicate with her, and it was to shine a lantern as he walked around the city. It kept them close, even when he was far away. But when he died, she wasn't sure what to do. Her whole life seems to have been defined by this connection between her and her husband.