Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella) Scene 16 Summary

  • Guido and Joshua are walking by a store with a sign reading, "No Jews or dogs allowed."
  • Joshua asks why Jews aren't allowed, and Guido, unwilling to tell his son the real answer, makes up stories about shops he's visited who won't let in certain people/animal combinations.
  • Joshua points out they let everyone into their bookstore. Guido decides that starting tomorrow they won't let spiders and Visigoths into their place. He's tired of Visigoths, anyway.
  • At the bookstore, some men in suits show and tell Guido he has to come to the Prefect's office. Guido asks why he has to go again, but they give him the silent treatment.
  • Guido puts Joshua in charge of the store. Joshua watches him leave, and Guido performs a comedic goose step march for his son's amusement.
  • Dora's mother comes into the store and looks around.
  • She hands Joshua a letter to give to Dora, telling him to say it's from Grandma. Joshua says he's never met his grandmother before.
  • She says you'll meet her tomorrow at your birthday. For the record, Joshua totally knows this is his grandma.