How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
We are a slave. We are a slave to this space, to the inevitable decay of trapped things. We can feed ourselves, but there is no food; we can work with our hands and with our minds, but there is nothing on which to work. (23.8)
This comes to us from Shorty, even though he isn't actually a slave. Notice his use of the word "we" throughout the passage. He highlights how he has been caged up, all while being free. In some ways, this is what all people in Haiti have in common in the book. They are trapped in a society that doesn't offer ways out of the system.