“We are the traces of saltpeter left over from the city’s days as an arsenal, lurking in straw beds in the basement cells, in the cracks of the courtyard stones.”
The quote is important because Casey reflects on the city where she was born, which plays a significant role in helping readers understand the status of women. The conditions women have been subjected to since time immemorial are wanting, indicating that they need a better place in society where they have freedom and choose what they think is good for them. More importantly, Case stresses that women should not continue suffering in modern times.
“What wouldn’t any of us do to keep death as distant as the city outside the wrought-iron gates?”
In this quote, Casey uses death as a metaphor to represent women's suffering in the city. According to Case, she wishes that women need to be safe and kept away from their current situation. However, the tone in this quote suggests that the author is hopeless because, despite her wishes, the situation is already at hand, and there is nothing she can do to save women.
