How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Big Ma—that's Pa's mother—still says Cassius Clay, Pa says Muhammad Ali or just Ali. (1.8)
Muhammad Ali joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to reflect his newfound beliefs. Pa recognizes this and calls Ali by his new tag. Big Ma, on the other hand, calls him by his original name. To her, that's Muhammad Ali's real identity.
Quote #2
However things are stamped in Big Ma's mind is how they will be, now and forever. (1.13)
It doesn't matter how much people change or how much time passes; things are remembered a certain way in Big Ma's head. She shows us that it's tough to change someone's identity once they are thought of a certain way around town.
Quote #3
I had already seen three people in dark clothes with Afros. (6.25)
Delphine thinks the way people dress shows off their identity. Is she totally incorrect about this? Or is there some truth? Where is the line between using appearances to glean clues about someone's identity and using appearances to make snap judgments? Over to you, Shmoopers.