Quote 28
Then in my mind's eye I see the bronze statue of the college Founder, the cold Father symbol, his hands outstretched in the breathtaking gesture of lifting a veil that flutters in hard, metallic folds above the face of a kneeling slave; and I am standing puzzled, unable to decide whether the veil is really being lifted, or lowered more firmly in place; whether I am witnessing a revelation or a more efficient blinding. (2.3)
The narrator uses a powerful metaphor that questions the supposed intentions behind the college education, which is supposed to provide racial uplift, but which may simply be another means to keep black people more firmly enslaved.
Quote 29
Why do I recall, instead of the odor of seed bursting in springtime, only the yellow contents of the cistern spread over the lawn's dead grass? Why? And how? How and why? (2.4)
The college falls short of the narrator's fantasies. In fact, the institution is only beautified for Founders' Day, or the day on which the rich white men would come with empty checks in their hands, suggesting that the school put its efforts into impressing white donors instead of enriching the students' experiences.
Quote 30
Of course I knew he was a founder, but I knew also that it was advantageous to flatter rich white folks. Perhaps he'd give me a large tip, or a suit, or a scholarship next year. (2.18)
The narrator feels he must play dumb in order to flatter Mr. Norton and benefit from his wealth.