Esther stores her life's savings in a seam of her crazy quilt. Crazy quilts, which became popular in the last twenty years of the 19th century, were intricate, lavish quilts made most often from scraps of silk, velvet, and wool that were then heavily embroidered. Both because of the intensive man-hours that went into making the quilt and because it also contains eighteen years' worth of savings, the quilt becomes a symbol for the laborious effort required to achieve the American dream. In the end, Esther's choice to give George her savings to purchase draft horses (though she later learns that, in truth, he spent the money on gambling, alcohol, and sex workers) represents Esther's move to abandon her original, unattainable version of the American dream. That dream itself may be beautiful and carefully constructed, just like the quilt, but it ultimately wasn't able to stand up to the true test of reality, emotions, and other people who are fundamentally unpredictable.
The Crazy Quilt Quotes in Intimate Apparel
Mayme: Let me tell you, so many wonderful ideas been conjured in this room. They just get left right in that bed there, or on this piano bench. They are scattered all over this room. Esther, I ain't waiting for anybody to rescue me. My Panama man come and gone long time now. It sweet that he write you but, my dear, it ain't real.
Esther: DON'T! This quilt is filled with my hard work, one hundred dollars for every year I been seated at that sewing machine. It's my beauty parlor. So you see I don't need Mr. Charles for his good job and position.
Mayme: The world changing and he wants big strong horses. He made me laugh. He promised to take me out someplace special, but I didn't have nothing nice to wear. And honestly it made me think about how long it been since I done something for myself. Gone someplace like you said, where a colored woman could go to put up her feet and get treated good for a change. And I see the dice rolling, and I think Lord, God, wouldn't a place like that be wonderful. But every time the dice roll, that place is a little further away. Until it all gone.
The Crazy Quilt Symbol Timeline in Intimate Apparel
