Quote 1
And I too saw Bing trudging wearily at the far end of the beach, his shoes hanging in his hand, his dark head bent over in exhaustion. I could feel what my mother felt. The hunger in our hearts was instantly filled. And then the two of us, before we could even get to our feet, saw him light a cigarette, grow tall, and become a stranger. (II.3.89)
For Rose and her mother, the strength of their desire to see Bing momentarily transforms a strange man into the four-year-old Bing.
Quote 2
I had been talking to too many people, my friends, everybody it seems, except Ted. (III.3.36)
Friends can be easier to talk to than significant others.
Quote 3
Back home, I thought about what she said. And it was true. Lately I had been feeling hulihudu. And everything around me seemed to be heimongmong. These were words I had never thought about in English terms. I suppose the closest in meaning would be "confused" and "dark fog."
But really, the words mean much more than that. Maybe they can’t be easily translated because they refer to a sensation that only Chinese people have, as if you were falling headfirst through Old Mr. Chou’s door, then trying to find your way back. (III.3.34)
Right now, we’re feeling a communication gap with Rose because the inadequacy of translation. Rose can’t explain to the reader the precise feelings of hulihudu and heimongmong, speculating that maybe only Chinese people can feel such things.
Quote 4
And then she spoke quietly about Ted’s future, his need to concentrate on his medical studies, why it would be years before he could even think about marriage. She assured me she had nothing whatsoever against minorities; she and her husband, who owned a chain of office-supply stores, personally knew many fine people who were Oriental, Spanish, and even black. But Ted was going to be in one of those professions where he would be judged by a different standard, by patients and other doctors who might not be as understanding as the Jordans were. She said it was so unfortunate the way the rest of the world was, how unpopular the Vietnam War was. (II.3.14)
To Ted’s mom, Rose is foreign – not an American like Mrs. Jordan’s son – and her foreignness could give Ted a bad reputation. This is the most overt instance of racism in the book, most notable for its mention of the war in Vietnam.
Quote 5
I know now that I will never find a way to save my marriage. My mother tells me, though, that I should still try.
"What’s the point?" I say. "There’s no hope. There’s no reason to keep trying."
"Because you must," she says. "This is not hope. Not reason. This is your fate. This is your life, what you must do." (II.3.97)
For An-mei, some things in life are simply "musts" – when your own future is on the line, you must act, even in the absence of hope.
Quote 6
The emotional effect of saving and being saved was addicting to both of us. And that, as much as anything we ever did in bed, was how we made love to each other: conjoined where my weaknesses needed protection. (II.3.19)
Rose and Ted’s relationship isn’t defined so much by their sex life as their emotional life, which plays itself out in a pattern: damsel in distress and strong savior.
Quote 7
The emotional effect of saving and being saved was addicting to both of us. And that, as much as anything we ever did in bed, was how we made love to each other: conjoined where my weaknesses needed protection. (II.3.19)
Rose and Ted fit a traditional roles of damsel in distress and knight in shining armor.
Quote 8
Ted pulled out the divorce papers and stared at them. His x’s were still there, the blanks were still blank. "What do you think you’re doing? Exactly what?" he said.
And the answer, the one that was important above everything else, ran through my body and fell from my lips: "You can’t just pull me out of your life and throw me away." (III.3.104)
Rose finally stands up for herself, realizing that she has a strong voice and character.