Am I Black?
-- Trelawny (In Flux)

Importance: Throughout "In Flux," Trelawny struggles to understand who he is. His peers' constant questions about his cultural, ethnic, and familial origins confuse Trelawny's former identification with his American citizenship and upbringing. In this scene, Trelawny is asking his mother if he is Black, because he has never associated with Black American culture. His words mark a poignant moment in his search for self-understanding.

Only Yankees think 'bout these things 'cause them have no culture. Them lost.
-- Zoë (In Flux)

Importance: Having struggled with self-definition throughout his childhood and adolescence, in college, Trelawny travels to Jamaica. He hopes that the trip will clarify his cultural origins and thus offer a key to his identity. In this scene, he is asking his new friends if Jamaicans talk or think about their ancestry. Zoë argues that such questions are distinct to Americans, as Americans lack a fixed cultural identity. Her words further destabilize Trelawny's...