“Concetta and Domenico Costa, Mariana Pontillo, the Arena family. We live.”

“In context this is funny: "Tancredi, we passed a beam of wood lying in front of Ginestra's house.Go and fetch it, it'll get you in all the quicker" (Concetta)”

“We live together,we act on, and react to, one another; but always and in all circumstances we are by ourselves. The martyrs go hand and hand into the arena; they are crucified alone.”

“We are indeed drifting into the arena of the unwell.”

“Since we live in a society that promotes faddism and temporary superficial adaptation of different values, we are easily convinced that changes have occurred in arenas where there has been little or no change.”

“To keep one's voice sweet, one's face bright, one's will steady, one's patience unperturbed, in the arena of the home, in the light of one's own family, is no light task”