I believed everything Mama told me then. About plants and palm trees and the shameful ignorance of slaves. I believed that a real lady must never 'lift a finger,' and so I let my stockings fall to the floor and wait for the maid to pick them up.”
-- Eliza (chapter 1)

Importance: Eliza is describing her childhood, and her mother's teachings is part of that. Her mother decides to have some specific plant in the garden, though it was not suitable for their climate, and blames the slaves tending the garden when the plant fails to thrive. Eliza is pointing out that her mother's attitudes about the plants are as wrong as her attitudes about how a true lady should behave. Eliza later learns how meaningful it is to work hard and own a sense of accomplishment.

Think you Mama will ever consider how Cassie, or Cato, or how any of them feel...
-- Maria (chapter 3)