But then again, history had shown conclusively that the American public didn't need a complicated explanation as much as they needed a clear enemy to blame.
-- Narrator (Revolution Shuffle)

Importance: While the two unnamed main characters of "Revolution Shuffle," are preparing for revolution, they observe the labor camps at the base of the hill. In this scene, the narrator frequently lapses into passages of exposition, all of which provide backgrounding details about the characters' unfamiliar world. In this moment, the narrator inserts a commentary upon American history, and the ways in which patterns of oppression have repeated across time. The moment also contributes to the collection's overarching explorations concerning oppression and resistance.

There will always be those who fight against that, who push the forces of destruction back.
-- A. (Black Angel)

Importance: Throughout "Black Angel," A. struggles to reconcile her past life in Heaven with her present life on Earth. Although she has always been an angel of...