How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I dried my face. Why was I thinking of Ruth? I'd worked hard to pack her away from my mind, along with the thoughts of Momma and Poppa and the life Ruth and I were promised. Didn't help to ponder things that were forever gone. It only made a body restless and fill up with bees all wanting to sting something. (41.38)
Isabel's flawless memory becomes so much of a curse in the time after Ruth's departure that she actually wills herself to forget her family. Obviously, though, it's not quite that easy. No matter how painful the loss is, it's impossible for her to forget the family that has brought her through the pain of slavery.
Quote #8
Momma said we had to fight the evil inside us by overcoming it with goodness. She said it was a hard thing to do, but it made us worthy. (43.22)
Memory also plays a role in helping Isabel decide how to handle hard situations. Shortly after she recalls this lesson from Momma, she chooses to overcome Madam Lockton's evil intent for her through the goodness of protecting the Patriots by throwing Captain Farrar's note in the fire.
Quote #9
Think. Remember.
When Ruth and I slept down here, the far corner of the cellar went muddy in a heavy rain. Maybe the damp had eaten at the boards […] I sat back and put my feet on each board in turn and pushed. The third board I tried gave way a little. So did the next two. (43.69-70)
Isabel's memory is so amazing that it helps her break out of the potato bin. Specifically, her attention to detail and ability to remember even the smallest thing she notices give her the ability to escape.