Character Analysis
When we first meet Gabriel's aide, we're told her name is Sarah, just like his aunt who gave him toys as a child. Later, we learn this isn't the case:
"Why do you always call me Sarah?" she asks. "You know that's not my name."
"Gabriel," I reply, "isn't mine."
"But it's what you prefer."
"My preference isn't to be who I am." (17.84)
Hmm… this is yet another case of mistaken identity in the novel. What we're most interested in isn't his aide's real name, though, but the reason behind calling her Sarah in the first place. We think it has something to do with the fact that Sarah didn't get along with Gabriel's parents, even though she was family. Keeping her around—even in name only—gives Gabriel support that he doesn't get elsewhere. It reminds him that other people didn't care for his parents either, which helps him justify his own hatred of them.
We don't think this is a major reference, but Sarah is also a biblical figure (like Gabriel)—a mother of pretty epic proportions, and an unlikely one at that. For our purposes, Sarah in this book holds space for Gabriel to justify his feelings. It may be a small thing she metaphorically births and nurtures, but it's worth thinking on nonetheless.