How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
Uhmma said her hands were her life. But for us, she only wished to see our hands holding books. You must use this, she said and pointed to her mind. Uhmma's hands worked hard to make sure our hands would not resemble hers.
It takes only a glance at our nails, our knuckles, our palms to know Uhmma succeeded. Joon and I both possess Uhmma's lean fingers, but without the hard, yellowed calluses formed by years of abuse from physical labor. Our hands turn pages of books, press fingertips to keyboard buttons, hold pencils and pens. They are lithe and tender. The hands of dreams come true. (31.11-12)
You could look at this passage as an example of how the American Dream is really a dream about generations, about continuing a family line that succeeds even more with each passing generation. But notice the irony too: the mark of success is a hand that has no marks on it—a hand that doesn't show its labor. How viable is this dream for most Americans? And whatever happened to celebrating the worker?