The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story Chapter 27 Quotes
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story Chapter 27 Quotes
How we cite the quotes:
(Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote 1
In time, her loyal, angry Guests stopped talking to Jan entirely or even making eye contact with him—hating how he treated her but unwilling to confront him, they blotted him out. (27.7)
Loyalty isn't always about world-changing things, like picking sides in a war. Sometimes it's about petty marital squabbles too, and the Guests side with Antonina during her spat with Jan.
Quote 2
A toddler again after so many years, [Antonina] felt cosseted by Magdalena and the others, who allowed her to be a sick little girl, fussed over by family, but she also scolded herself and "felt so embarrassed and useless." (27.2)
Like many caretakers, Antonina loves taking care of other people, but she herself hates being taken care of.
Quote 3
"We know how cautious wild animals can be, how easily they scare when their instinct tells them to defend themselves. When they sense a stranger crossing their territory, they get aggressive for their own protection. But, in [Antonina's] case, it's like that instinct is absent, leaving her unafraid of either two- or four-legged animals. Nor does she convey fear." (27.35)
This is Jan's perception of his wife, and it matches what we've seen so far. Aside from a fear for her son's safety, Antonina appears iron-willed, like a rhinoceros wearing chain mail.