The View from Saturday Identity Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

Century Village where my Gershom grandparents live is not like any place I had ever been to. It is in Florida, but it is not exactly Disney World or Sea World or other regular destinations. It is like a theme park for old people. Almost everyone who lives there is retired from useful life. Grandma Sadie and Grandpa Nate fit in nicely. ("Noah Writes a B & B Letter".12)

Come on, Noah. The people at Century Village get married, have parties, go dancing, teach calligraphy to little snots—sounds to us like they have a lot of useful living to do.

Quote #2

For the first few weeks of the new school year, Nadia hardly spoke. All the sixth graders—like Mrs. Olinski herself—were new to Epiphany Middle School, but Nadia—like Mrs. Olinski herself—seemed most disconnected. Both were watchers and waiters, cautious about being friendly, about showing themselves. (2.14)

In The View From Saturday, age seems like a less important marker of difference than personality. Nadia and Mrs. Olinski might be decades apart in age, but they could practically be sisters. (Compare Hamilton Knapp with someone like the menacing principal from Knightsbridge: decades apart in age; evil enough to be brothers.)

Quote #3

"Ginger would not be listed. She is a mixed breed. Like me."

"What's your mix?"

"Half-Jewish, half-Protestant." ("Nadia Tells of Turtle Love".55-57)

Nadia knows what she and her dog are made of and thinks that means she knows what both of them are. She's proud of both of their backgrounds, even though they aren't "purebreds."