I believe what Morrison means by the quote is that even though they were a minority in both caste and class, they were able to continue on with their lives. The fact that they were not well off did not seem to stop them in their tracks. They were able to live on with their lives, “we moved about anyway on the hem of life” (Morrison, 17). Though they may not have been content with their financial status, they seemed to learn to deal with it. More likely they got used to living as minorities to the point where it did not bother them as much. This does not seem to deal much with the “american dream” because they learned to live with what they had and settled rather than strived.
~Carlos Lema
Interesting interpretation, Carlos. What do you make of the second part of the quote (“struggling to consolidate our weaknesses and hang on, or to creep singly up into the major folds of the garment”)? Do you think this indicates contentment or something else?