How we cite our quotes: (Part.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The first man to set foot on Whileaway appeared in a field of turnips on North Continent. He was wearing a blue suit like a hiker's and a blue cap. The farm people had been notified. One, seeing the blip on the tractor's infrared scan, came to get him; the man in blue saw a flying machine with no wings but a skirt of dust and air. (1.5.1)
In a novel that shifts back and forth between multiple speakers and points of view, it's crucial to keep your eyes peeled for clues that will help to identify speakers' perspectives. Here, the narrator adopts the Whileawayan farmers' perspective when describing the man from Jeannine's Earth. Because they are unfamiliar with New York City society, they see a "blue suit like a hiker's," rather than a police officer's uniform.
Quote #2
Excuse me, perhaps I'm mistaking what you intend to say as this language we're speaking is only a hobby of mine, I am not as fluent as I would wish. What we speak is a pan-Russian even the Russians would not understand; it would be like Middle English to you, only vice-versa. (1.7.26)
The Female Man doesn't put a lot of emphasis on linguistic differences between the people of Whileaway and the people of Jeannine's, Janet's, and Jael's worlds, but we are occasionally reminded that English isn't Janet's mother tongue. In what ways does Janet's limited knowledge of English affect her experience in Joanna's world?
Quote #3
It seems odd to all of us, Miss Evason, that in venturing into such—well, such absolutely unknown territory—that you should have come unarmed with anything except a piece of string. Did you expect us to be peaceful? (2.7.1)
When narratives emphasize foreignness as a major theme, they sometimes include sub-themes such as conflict, misunderstanding, culture-clash, and aggression as well. Two unspoken questions that run throughout the novel are: 1) Do the women of Whileaway pose a threat to Joanna's Earth? and 2) Do the men of Joanna's Earth pose a threat to Whileaway? (If you want to take this question further, you might think about the novel in relation to Joanna Russ's short story "When It Changed.")