"People here just can't wait to die...."
The religion of the Mennonite community is extremely controlling and Nomi's family often feels like they are living day to day without a real purpose.
"There is no deep end in this town's gene pool."
In this town where the religion is very controlling, it is surprising to see that there is incest going on. Trudie and Ray, Nomi's parents, are second cousins.
"I think it made her feel adventurous to own a passport, to think she actually might one day get on a plane and fly away to a magical place with a temperature climate where people dance"
This quote was Nomi referring to her mother, Trudie as she was all excited about getting a passport. Trudie had been very unhappy living in the small town where she felt trapped. Little did Nomi know, that Trudie was planning to leave and escape the overbearing religion.
" Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge."
"I never dreamed of revenge."
-Gauguin (A French painter)
Nomi had dealt with the town and it's controlling ways of life, but she was unhappy too. Nomi wrote this quote on the end of her driveway one day, and her neighbor came over and gave her disapproving comments. Nomi said that this was her favorite quote, and it resembles how unhappy she is living in her community. She tells her neighbor that she never dreamed of revenge, but that may have been sarcasm.
"After Tash left, my mom's church singing got quieter and my dad's got a little louder."
Once Tash leaves, Trudie feels abandoned. Tash and Trudie had both connected over how unhappy they were living in the community. Trudie realizes that she needs to leave too. She loves both her daughter and her husband, but she doesn't want them to choose between her and their religion.
" I miss kids. The way they react to everything like they're alive."
This quote goes to show the innocence of childhood, and how children are happy because they are too young to realize what is really going on. Children have so much energy and are naturally happy. Nomi realizes how unhappy she is.
