It is as if the boys can sense it, even in those girls, in their easy closeness and their interlocking arms: the whole history of women and suffering, the generations of practice at grief.”
-- Narrator (chapter 3)

Importance: Walker's voice shines through this quote. To acknowledge and name the generational trauma so many women suffer is a bold move so early in the book. Walker is making clear her stance on womanhood, which helps inform her theme of motherhood throughout the rest of the novel. She also sets a clear tone of suffering and grief. The structure of the sentence suggests women will be the main focus and driving force of the novel, and that history or the past is being explored.

A few sick strangers… is only one of a hundred bad stories that must be overlooked every day. To close one’s eyes can be an act of survival.”
-- Narrator (chapter 11)

Importance: Another moment in...