“With wives, it only matters who gets there first. With daughters, the situation is a bit more complicated.” 

Dana Lynn has this thought when she is reflecting on why her half-sister, Chaurisse, is James’s “real daughter” and she is not. This quote shows that Dana Lynn sees her identity as more confusing and problematic than her mother’s identity, setting up some of the tension in the novel. The quote also directs readers to redefine the traditional view of marriage accepted in America. The quote comes into play again at the end of the novel, when the wife who got “there first” wins James and both the daughters are left with emotional damage.

“‘You are the secret.’” 

This is what James tells Dana Lynn in order to get her to stop talking about his role in her life in class. This quote defines the course of Dana Lynn’s life because she now sees herself as something that must be hidden. The idea that she is a “secret” indicates to her that she is abnormal.

“‘Wives can afford to let themselves go. Concubines must be vigilant.’” 

Gwen says this to Dana Lynn when Dana Lynn questions Gwen’s intense nightly beauty routine. From this quote it’s clear that Gwen does not view herself as fulfilling the role of a traditional wife and that she feels her struggles in life are more frequent than those of a traditional wife.