How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
She fell asleep immediately when first she lay down, but after an hour she woke rigid and frightened from a dream of large hats. (2.1)
Jade has awful memories of being at her mother's funeral. She regrets wearing a giant woman's hat to the funeral, since it made her look silly. Jade is also embarrassed of the fact that she dressed like a white woman at her mother's funeral. It's suggested that this event might have signalled the beginning of Jade's attempts to distance herself from black culture.
Quote #2
As soon as she gave up looking for the center of the fear, she was reminded of another picture that was not a dream. Two months ago, in Paris, the day she went grocery shopping. (2.1)
On top of the bad memories of her mother's funeral, Jade also has a bad memory of watching an African woman in a French grocery store. There was something about the woman that interested Jade, but the woman spat at her. Jade was rattled by this event in a way that still bothers her in the present day of this book.
Quote #3
His claims to decency were human: he had never cheated anybody. Had done the better thing whenever he had a choice and sometimes when he did not. (2.25)
When he looks back on his life, Valerian tends to be pretty pleased with himself. He doesn't think he has ever cheated anyone, although he doesn't count the fact that he's always been neglectful toward his black servants Sydney and Ondine.