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Oto
Anka was Jimmie’s great-great-great-grandmother and one of the main characters in the story in Jimmie’s mum’s book. As a baby, villagers find her at the bottom of a well, having just hatched from an egg. The villagers rescue Anka, who’s blind, and raise her. Anka has a magnetic personality, a gift for singing, and she can make everyone feel happy and welcome in her presence. She eventually marries Oto, and she’s pregnant when soldiers arrive in their village and abduct her and everyone else who can travel. Anka gives birth to her baby boy during the forced march—and ultimately, she convinces the soldiers to free her by cooking them delicious meals and singing them songs that make them feel immense sadness. Her songs magically travel on the wind to Oto, who follows her and ultimately finds her on a ship bound for Australia.
Anka Quotes in The Bone Sparrow
The The Bone Sparrow quotes below are all either spoken by Anka or refer to Anka. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 33
Quotes
I look at Harvey. I think of Oto and Anka and Iliya and Ba and Maá and Queeny and Eli and all of us. All of them all that time ago, and all of us now. Just trying to find somewhere to be safe. Just walking our journey to peace. I can hear Queeny’s words in my head and now they make sense. I get it now.
‘We’re the dead rats, Harvey. Just like Queeny said. Left out to rot so no one else bothers to try. There’s no keeping safe for us.’
Harvey looks at me like he’s never seen me before. But he doesn’t say I’m wrong.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Bone Sparrow LitChart as a printable PDF.
Anka Quotes in The Bone Sparrow
The The Bone Sparrow quotes below are all either spoken by Anka or refer to Anka. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 33
Quotes
I look at Harvey. I think of Oto and Anka and Iliya and Ba and Maá and Queeny and Eli and all of us. All of them all that time ago, and all of us now. Just trying to find somewhere to be safe. Just walking our journey to peace. I can hear Queeny’s words in my head and now they make sense. I get it now.
‘We’re the dead rats, Harvey. Just like Queeny said. Left out to rot so no one else bothers to try. There’s no keeping safe for us.’
Harvey looks at me like he’s never seen me before. But he doesn’t say I’m wrong.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
