Quote by Jonathan Safran Foer
The disgraced Usurer Yankel D took the baby girl home that evening... He made a bed of crumpled newspaper in a deep baking pan and gently tucked it in the oven, so that she wouldn't be disturbed by the noise of the small falls outside... When he pulled her out to feed her or just hold her, her body was tattooed with the newsprint... Sometimes he would rock her to sleep in his arms, and read her left to right, and know everything he needed to know about the world. If it wasn't written on her, it wasn't important to him.
Summary
This quote suggests that Yankel D, a disgraced usurer, takes in a baby girl and raises her in a sheltered environment. He creates a bed for her out of newspaper in a baking pan to shield her from external disturbances. The act of tucking her into the oven symbolizes protecting her from the outside world. Yankel finds comfort and knowledge in reading the newsprint that often leaves imprints on her body. By doing so, he believes that if something is not written on her, it holds no significance in his worldview. The quote emphasizes the extent of Yankel's isolation and unique perspective on the world.
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