How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Page)
Quote #13
I felt broken at the end of the meeting, but a little closer to being free. I didn't feel guilty about burning my mother's name anymore. I knew my hurt and hers were links in a long chain and if she hurt me, it was because she was hurt, too. (31.203)
Sophie knows that she has to break the cycle of abuse and humiliation in her family if she's ever to heal and be free of her burdens. Her sexual abuse therapy group devises a ritual in which each member writes the name of her abuser on a slip of paper and then burns it. Sophie's clear that she doesn't wish more pain to her mother; rather, she wants to be rid of the pain caused by the humiliating virginity tests. She also wants to be free of her mother's nightmares and continuous suffering, which has affected her so deeply.
Quote #14
My grandmother did not look directly at my mother's face, but at the red gloves on her hands and the matching shoes on her feet. My grandmother looked as though she was going to fall down, in shock. (35.231)
Ifé can't comprehend what has happened to her daughter. Her inability to look into Martine's dead face is definitely a defense mechanism meant to shield her somehow from the full emotional impact of losing her daughter. Atie doesn't do so well; she falls into convulsions when she sees her dead sister.