How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
The girl's square chin was tilted up. Her big red mouth was brutal around the words it shaped, and the lines crossing its ends were deep, harsh. (10.2)
When Dinah gets angry, she's not looking to win any beauty pageants. She looks harsh, fierce, and defiant. In many ways, these are positive qualities because how else would a woman contend with all the aggressive men around her if she's meek and mild? But at the same time, there's also an animalistic quality to this description that presents Dinah as an untamed, dangerous animal.
Quote #5
The girl scowled and said disagreeably:
"I can expect anything I want. And he's got no right to talk to me that way. He doesn't own me. Maybe he thinks he does, but I'll show him different." (10.40)
Dinah's defiance and self-sufficiency really shine through here. She refuses to let anyone push her around, and even though she's unashamed of her obsession with money, she won't allow anyone to "own" her. This assertive femininity is a key characteristic of the femme fatale figure.
Quote #6
She caught one of his thin wrists and twisted it until he was on his knees. Her other hand, open, beat his hollow-cheeked face, half a dozen times on each side, rocking his head from side to side. He could have put his free arm up to protect his face, but didn't.
She let go of his wrist, turned her back on him, and reached for gin and seltzer. She was smiling. I didn't like the smile. (10.54)
Men aren't the only ones who like to get violent in Red Harvest. Dinah also exhibits her own fair share of violent temper tantrums. When she gets angry at Dan, Dinah slaps him forcefully a dozen times, right in front of the Op. Not only is this embarrassing for poor Dan, but the Op is also taken aback by the smile on Dinah's face. There's something unnatural and unsettling about Dinah's violent behavior.