How we cite our quotes: (Entry. Paragraph)
Quote #4
Ignorance keeps them poor, and when a town-dwelling Negro is poor, he lives in the ghetto. […] He no longer cares. He will do anything to escape it -- steal or commit acts of violence—or perhaps try to lose himself in sensuality. Most often the sex-king is just a poor devil trying to prove the manhood that his whole existence denies. This is what the whites call the "sorry n*****." […] To a young girl who has nothing, has never known anything, the baubles she can get—both in a kind of crude affection and in gifts or money—by granting sex to a man or boy appeal to her as toys to a child. She gets pregnant sometimes and then the vicious circle is given impetus. […] But none of this is "Negro-ness." (13.76)
It's the circle of life! Except, instead of Rafiki smiling and putting gourd-juice on a baby lion's head, it's a cycle of grueling poverty. Griffin is basically telling us that racism kills families. How would this family look if you didn't know the reasons behind their actions? How do you see them with Griffin's explanation? How could they end the cycle?
Quote #5
I could only conclude that his attitude came from an overwhelming love for his child, so profound it spilled over to all humanity. I knew that he was totally unaware of its ability to cure men; of the blessing it could be to someone like me after having been exhausted and scraped raw in my heart by others this rainy Alabama night. (13.104)
This baby should be a superhero: Magical Love Antiracism Kid.
Quote #6
"I don't want them to. They'll come back for my funeral. That's the worst part of this devilment. If the young ones want a decent life, they've got to go somewhere else. All the families are being split up. That's the shame of it." (13.120)
Earlier, Griffin talked about one way that racism destroys families. This is another way: by moving away in order to find a better life… not that we can blame anyone for doing that, but wouldn't it be nice if the kids could stay local and still have a good life?