The Thread Collectors

“Already the white soldiers that had been assigned to Camp Parapet had begun to grumble loudly about becoming ‘outnumbered’ on the base.”

This quote provides an early example of the racist discrimination that Black soldiers in the Union Army face from their white counterparts. White soldiers complaining about being “outnumbered” reflect their racial anxiety and prejudice. The discontent among white soldiers early in the novel foreshadows increased racial tensions within the Union Army that will affect Black soldiers later in the novel. Edwards and Richman return to this theme throughout the narrative, highlighting the hardships of fighting for the Union as a Black man.

“It’s rows of Creole cottages, that bordered the city line, were filled with light-skinned women, the so-called favorites of wealthy white men, coveted like exotic fruits they hoarded for themselves.”

This quote describes the system of plaçage, the practice that allowed white men in New Orleans to enter forceful intimate relationships with women of color. T Many of the novel’s characters, including Stella and Janey, participate in plaçage arrangements. The simile comparing women to “exotic fruits” highlights the objectification and commodification women of color face. Edwards and Richman explore the inherently unequal and exploitive nature of these arrangements, in which women were repeatedly sexually assaulted by wealthy white men, adding additional historical context to the narrative.

“Janie had had to learn the hard way the rules of being controlled by the desires of white men. Not chained, but certainly not free.”

This quote illustrates a paradox: Janie is technically a free woman, but she remains figuratively “chained” by the whims of her former enslaver. By forcing Stella and Ammanee to remain on Burgundy Street, Percy and Frye ensure that Janie cannot leave New Orleans.

“You can never have enough blue to protect you.”

This quote uses symbolism where the color blue represents protection and safety based on Gullah-Geechee tradition which held that blue kept evil spirits away. Many of the characters in The Thread Collectors use blue to convey safety and love. This quote introduces its symbolic role in the narrative. The phrase “never enough blue” highlights a critical need for protection against pervasive threats the characters face due to enslavement, racial discrimination, and violence.

“How tiresome Northerners had become with their abolitionist rhetoric, their irritating interference with the centuries-old Southern way of life.”

This quote from Frye encapsulates his flippant attitude toward enslavement and the moral complacency of Southerners. He and his fellow enslavers view the subjugation of Black Americans in a coldly practical light, as an economic system that has upheld the Southern states throughout history, evidenced by the phrase “centuries-old Southern way of life.” He is unable to see enslaved people as human and cannot empathize with their pain—downplaying the human cost of enslavement and expressing disdain for abolitionist rhetoric.

“Soldiers had begun blaming Jewish textile merchants for the poor quality of their uniforms and equipment, and officers were doing little to stop the rumors. Jacob understood why—the only other scapegoat would be the deferral government itself, which would not exactly inspire loyalty in the ill-used soldiers.”

This quote highlights the presence of antisemitism during the Civil War. As Jacob notes, people in power supported antisemitic falsehoods as a way of providing a “common enemy” to unite downtrodden soldiers. The rumors about Jewish merchants serve as a distraction from the actual problems within the military supply, allowing prejudices that demonize marginalized groups to continue to spread.

“Samuel’s learned quickly how things are done around here [...] he knows that our money comes from cotton. And cotton doesn’t pick itself [...] Our customers must have slaves if we are to survive. What does Lincoln want [...] all of the South to starve?”

Enslavement is baked into the economy of the South. Edwards and Richman explore how many Southerners became supporters of enslavement, citing practical economic reasons. This quote highlights how Southerners framed enslavement as a pragmatic necessity, shown through the rhetorical question.

“Tonight we celebrate family, but we also pay respect to the Israelites’ escape from bondage in Egypt, and yet you fail to see the irony of your words, in support of Southern slavery, dear sister.”

Lily points out the irony in Samuel and Eliza, whose ancestors have a history of oppression, choosing to participate in the oppression of Black Americans. This quote highlights her commitment to intersectional activism to fight against racist oppression.

“All of us born into someplace unfair. Some just got it harder than others I s’pose.”

Ammanee addresses the differences between herself and Stella—though both are enslaved Black women and thus face severe restrictions on their freedoms, Ammanee’s life is even harder than Stella’s because she is monoracial and has a darker skin tone than her sister. This quote expands to encapsulate the novel’s other primary characters; though everybody suffers, the degree of freedom and happiness they are allowed to access varies based on the circumstances of their birth, evidenced by Ammanee’s resigned language.

“Their innocence—their entire being—held in the merciless grip of a white man.”

Here, Stella grapples with the fact that white men control her and all the Black women in her family. The word “innocence” references the sexual component of this control, as Stella and others are routinely sexually assaulted by their enslavers. This constricting lack of freedom and vulnerability to violation is something that Stella, Janie, Ammanee, and their neighbors from Rampart Street have in common, demonstrated by the authors’ use of “merciless grip.”

“But theirs was a language that transcended words, and as he did with his instrument, she, too, had used rhythms to communicate.”

This quote from William illustrates how music can serve as a tool for connection. After his mother, Tilly, has her tongue burnt out by their enslaver, a young William uses rhythm to “speak” with her. This is one example of several in the novel where music bridges a linguistic, cultural, or racial gap.

“You did what we all dream of [...] they didn’t see you or Teddy up there. They only heard the music.”

Jacob says this about William’s performance in front of white Union generals. Though he frames it as a positive that William’s music made the audience forget their prejudices, the moment is bittersweet. For William’s music to be appreciated, the white soldiers must essentially see past his identity as a Black man, rather than respecting both his talent and his identity.

“There was so much she could not control, but sewing a path through the darkness, how could that not be good?”

Throughout the narrative, Stella struggles with a lack of control over her own life and the lives of the people she loves. Embroidering maps of escape routes helps her do her part to protect the families in her community. This quote uses metaphor and symbolism to depict sewing as a means of creating hope and agency amidst a lack of control. The “path through the darkness” reflects her effort to contribute to her fellow enslaved people’s escape toward freedom.

“What’s the difference, then? We just slaves either way? We just bodies to shield you and yo’ men?”

After seeing how Black soldiers are treated as disposable at Port Hudson, William wonders whether there is truly a difference between being enslaved and being free. This quote highlights the irony in the fact that Black Union soldiers faced racism despite putting their bodies on the line to fight against the Confederacy. It depicts how Union leaders saw Black bodies as disposable and less valuable than white soldiers’ lives.

“I’ve been lookin’ out for myself for a long time, and one thing I learned is that the only thing worth trying to save in this world is yourself.”

This quote, spoken by Miss Claudette, describes the hardened attitude that she has developed as a survival tactic due to systemic oppression. Edwards and Richman subvert this idea by illustrating the power of community.

“Actually, Private, when I’m here with William and Teddy, I feel like I am with my own.”

This quote, spoken by Jacob, illustrates the depth of his bond with William and Teddy. Though he is expected to identify with his fellow white soldiers, he finds a true sense of belonging with William and Teddy, demonstrated by saying he feels like he’s with his own.

“Yes, Chile. But we can help each other. That’s how we hold on for all those we love.”

Miss Emilienne emphasizes the value of solidarity and mutual support amid oppression. Her opinion contrasts the individualism Janie and Miss Claudette tout. This contributes to the theme of Resilience and Community Care.

“I have a girl back home. She’s not free to love me, and I’m not free to protect her.”

The institution of enslavement denies enslaved people the basic right to express their love for one another. William and Stella are oppressed on every level, from physical to emotional.

“‘Girl of Fire’ was one of the first songs both Black and white soldiers sang as they trudged onward.”

Jacob’s song, written for Lily, becomes a means of connection between the Black and white troops. This moment demonstrates music’s ability to transcend social boundaries, further contributing to the motif of music throughout the novel.

“We dream of a brighter future where race and gender are not used against any individual, and instead where opportunity unfurls before all who are willing to reach for it.”

Lily outlines the goal of her activism in this quote. She understands that progress for Black Americans does not take away from women’s suffrage and vice-versa. Rather, synthesizing the two causes makes each one stronger, highlighting her aspirations for a future free from discrimination with equal opportunity regardless of race or gender. The use of “opportunity unfurls” highlights a striving toward abolition and suffrage, emphasizing the theme of Racist Oppression and the Pursuit of Intersectional Activism.

“Yes, you are free to love me.”

After Frye’s death, Stella and William reunite. This quote, spoken by Stella, demonstrates a change in her character and circumstances since the start of the novel. This is the first time that she has characterized herself and William as free, highlighting the increased sense of hope and control she feels with Frye dead. This quote also calls back to William’s earlier lamentation that Stella is not free to love him.

“How can you just waltz into these parts and not notice what your army has done? Our town has been destroyed, everything for miles around has been torched, and the stink of the dead suffocates us every time the wind blows near.”

Edwards and Richman portray the Civil War from a variety of perspectives, including those of Confederate supporters in the South. Here, Eliza angrily relates the devastation of her hometown by the Union Army. The authors use vivid imagery and rhetorical questions to convey the destruction, highlighted through descriptive language of everything “torched” and with “the stink of the dead.”

“William swallowed his words. Didn’t she see? He was the only man left.”

By the time William returns to New Orleans, he is the only Black man left on Burgundy Street: All others have been killed, conscripted in the army, or have run away to escape enslavement. This quote highlights the extent of the violence and danger Black men endured in the South throughout the Civil War and foreshadows William and Stella’s eventual decision to move up North.