How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Chicago.
Quote #1
ROXIE: Don't you think it's about time that I met your friend down at the Onyx?
Fred later mentions that he was only telling Roxie he could hook her up with a manager in order to hook up with her… but what if we turned the tables? Is Roxie interested in Fred for himself, or because he might be able to make her famous? Who's more manipulative in this situation?
Quote #2
ROXIE: And, you know, it occurred to me the other day that all the really, really knockout acts have, you know, something a little different goin' on, you know? Like, um, a signature bit. […] And I thought that my thing could be aloof, you know. Give 'em just enough to get 'em good an hungry, but always leave 'em wantin' more.
This is Roxie's key to showbiz and, really, to life. It's a way of manipulating a crowd even if the crowd is the general public and not an audience watching her on stage.
Quote #3
MAMA: I love them all and all of them love me, because the system works, the system called reciprocity! […] Got a little motto, always seen me through, when you're good to mama, mama's good to you.
Mama is a master manipulator, and she knows how to game the system, but in order to play the game, prisoners have to convince Mama that they're worth it.