How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
I guess the person I want to marry is him, but I wonder if the person he wants to marry is me or a black girl? (2.9)
Jade is a little insecure about her engagement to her white boyfriend Ryk, who's living back in Paris. Jade can never be sure whether Ryk wants to marry her for who she is or simply because he wants to look trendy and progressive by marrying a black woman.
Quote #5
[Sometimes] I want to get out of my skin and be only the person inside—not American—not black—just me. (2.9)
Jade wishes that she didn't have to deal with the questions and insecurities that come up within her because of her race. She just wishes that she could be racially neutral so that people could judge her for who she is. In other words, she seems to believe that there's a personality inside her that transcends her body and her race.
Quote #6
Not the coloreds. She was seventeen and couldn't even give them orders the way she was supposed to. (2.27)
Margaret feels inadequate as a young wife because she isn't able to give stern commands to her black servants. Now most of us would think that this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but Margaret sees it as a sign of her personal weakness.