Chapter 3 Summary

"The Dissolution of Mrs. White" The chapter opens with a quote from a Yoruban hymn: "I have an assassin for a lover." The chapter proper tells the story of Kitty Savage, brought to a new life in America by her husband Boy, proud of himself for leaving Jamaica after the murders of Paul and his family. Narration of the family's drive to New York City (after arriving in Florida at the end of their initial sea voyage) includes Boy's recollection of seeing "Gone with the Wind" at a drive-in theater.

When they arrive in New York, the light-skinned Kitty, Boy, and their daughters Clare and Jennie are met first by Kitty's dark-skinned cousins, who tell them to pass as white if they can. Later, when the family has their own apartment, Kitty and Boy cut ties with them, Boy having insisted that it's...