How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
[…] my mother had to prepare the little girl to be buried. I then began to look at my mother's hands differently […] For a while, though not for very long, I could not bear to have my mother caress me or touch my food or help me with my bath. I especially couldn't bear the sight of her hand lying still in her lap. (1.4)
This quotation links Annie's feelings toward her mother and obeah. Her mother's hands are symbolic of her nurturing care. After she prepares the body of the dead girl, her hands become tainted. Trace how many scenes mention Annie's mother's hand. There's even a chapter title about them.
Quote #2
I would lie in bed awake, and I could hear all the sounds my parents made as they prepared for the day ahead. (2.1)
When do you really know a person? When you recognize the sounds they make. That's how tight of a bond Annie and her parents (especially her mother) have.
Quote #3
My mother and I often took a bath together. Sometimes it was just a plain bath, which didn't take very long. Other times, it was a special bath in which the barks and flowers of many different trees, together with all sorts of oils, were boiled in the same large caldron. We would then sit in this bath in a darkened room with a strange-smelling candle burning away. (2.2)
These baths are for cleansing and family bonding time. They're also warding off bad spirits according to obeah practice. See also the section on "The Supernatural."