How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Page)
Quote #4
There was magic in the images that she had made out of the night. She would rock my body on her lap as she told me of fishermen and mermaids bravely falling in love. The mermaids would leave stars for the fishermen to pick out of the sand. For the most beloved fishermen, the mermaids would leave their combs, which would turn to gold when the fishermen kissed them. (15.110)
Sophie has overwhelmingly positive memories of the storytelling in her family. Both Tante Atie and her grandmother are master tale-weavers, transporting Sophie from her troubled life into these kingdoms of imagination. Of course, some of the tales are menacing and graphic, but every now and then there are mermaids. Interestingly, Sophie has the urge to tell Brigitte stories as well, but she never does. Perhaps she hasn't sorted through her own feelings about these remembered tales.
Quote #5
"If a woman is worth remembering," said my grandmother, "there's no need to have her name carved in letters." (19.128)
Atie and Louise want to have their names recorded in the governmental archives for their province, especially since Louise is about to make a run for the U.S. But Ifé doesn't see the necessity of being remembered in such a cold way. Once again, reputation, especially for a woman, is paramount. But the question is, who decides when a woman is worth remembering?
We can see the power of an inscribed name when Sophie visits the graves of her ancestors with Atie. Sometimes, human memory just fails, especially when family links are broken. Both Atie and Louise are unmarried, with no prospects of having families of their own. The steps they take to ensure some kind of posterity, then, make a lot of sense.
Quote #6
"When I first saw you in New York, I must admit, it frightened me the way you looked. But it is not something that I can help. It is not something that you can help. It is just part of our lives." (26.169)
Martine is referring to the fact that Sophie does not look like any of the Caco women. Ergo, she must look like Martine's attacker. The unfamiliarity of Sophie's face causes conflict for Martine: she is grateful for Sophie's presence, since she stops the nightmares from the past from destroying her, but she's also tormented by the face before her. Sophie grows up with the guilt that her very being is a living reminder of the worst moment in Martine's life.