In the play Pygmalion, the flower girl says this. It "translates" to:
"Oh, he's your son, is he? Well, if you'd done your duty as a mother should, he'd know better than to spoil a poor girl's flowers, then run away without paying! Will you pay for them?"
She says this to the mother of the boy who recently knocked her flowers down and trampled them. She says this because she wants to be compensated for the ruined flowers.
"Quicksand is more than a novel about a person’s search for identity. <span>
It offers a critical commentary on diverse cultural and racial societies—their oppressive institutions, outmoded traditions, false values, and distorted ways of perceiving reality.</span>
..Furthermore, she finds the sensual excesses practiced in Harlem to be repulsive to the values of her moral upbringing. is more than a novel about a person’s search for identityAgain seeking..."
-enotes.com
I believe it's about finding who you are and understanding your values.
