What you do to children matters. And they might never forget.
These two short, simple sentences reveal a key preoccupation of the novel: childhood. Childhood features in much of Morrison's writing. This quotation supports the idea that childhood is a crucial time for every human being by implying that emotional or psychological damage or trauma experienced by children can leave scars as they grow up.
You are about to find out what it takes, how the world is, how it works and how it changes when you are a parent. Good luck and God help the child.
A warning relevant to all people who are soon to become parents, highlighting the importance of the role of parents in the lives of their children. The direct and personal address - 'You' - makes it sound like the reader is being spoken to.
We had three good years together but when she was born he blamed me and treated Lula Ann like she was a stranger - more than that, an enemy
Sweetness, Bride's mother, is speaking here. The 'he' is her partner and Bride's father, Louis. Here we see the imbalance of power and patriarchal authority that is granted to the father in the relationship. Also made clear is his view of his daughter, whose dark skin color is what he claims prevents him from loving her.
Her color is a cross she will always carry
Morrison, in this quotation, is signaling the discrimination that Bride will experience because of ignorance around her skin color, discrimination worse than most black people. The author also seems to be pointing beyond the novel to draw the attention of the reader to the discrimination experienced by people of color in the wider world and in society.
He didn't want an outsider judging his family
Booker's preoccupation is explained to the reader in this quotation, showing him to be someone who is more worried about perceptions of him and his family than the welfare and stability of his family.
