What were all them little people doing at work today?
-- Bassett Furniture Line Worker (Part 1 paragraph Page 9)

Importance: “The worker comments on the presence of Taiwanese factory managers. The worker is stunned by their presence and that they seemed to be running things.

I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth and I had no intention of taking it out.
-- John Bassett III (Part I paragraph Page 36)

Importance: This quotation captures the pride that John had in his company and in himself.

Bassett was a town with two distinct narratives: the prevailing one, told by the Families and the local media (owned by friends of the families) and the whispered one, discussed on front porches and in the bleachers at John D. Bassett High by everyone else.
-- Narrator (Part 1 paragraph Page 59)

Importance: Although African American factory workers at Bassett made half of what white workers did, they were hired and otherwise treated fairly. What was whispered about among the townsfolk was the sexual exploitation of black maids and housekeepers...