Summary

In Chapter 3, Aislyn Houlihan is boarding the Staten Island Ferry. She is terrified of going into Manhattan and overwhelmed by the crowd. When a black man accidentally bumps into her, Aislyn panics. When Aislyn exits the ferry a woman in white appears and tries to comfort her. Aislyn begins to feel uneasy about her presence but the Woman in White plays on Aislyn’s insecurities to gain her trust. She tells Aislyn that “she is Staten Island”; she is the forgotten borough because the other avatars do not consider her a true part of the city (98). She uses the racist and discriminatory language similar to Aislyn’s father to win her trust. By making Aislyn feel attacked by “prissy chink bitches who barely speak English”, The Woman in White makes Aislyn feel that she needs her as an ally (99).

When Aislyn asks the...