Elena

“Why do panda bears bore you?"
"Since they're born wearing such impressive makeup, they don't make any effort to be interesting. They neither master any stageworthy tricks nor write autobiographies.”
― Yōko Tawada, Memoirs of a Polar Bear

“This visit by these two men made my pen go limp.”
― Yōko Tawada, Memoirs of a Polar Bear

“Equally misplaced was the notion “maternal instinct.” With animals, childrearing is a matter not of instinct but of art. It can’t be very much different for humans or they wouldn’t keep adopting children of different species.”
― Yōko Tawada, Memoirs of a Polar Bear

“Human beings hate everything that is unnatural," Michael explained. "They think that bears must remain bears. It's just the same way some people think that the lower classes must remain poor. They would consider anything else unnatural."
"If that's true, why did they build a zoo?"
"Ah, that is indeed a contradiction. But inconsistency is mankind's very nature."
"Now you're fudging."
"You don't have to worry about what's natural and unnatural. Just live your life as you please.”
― Yōko Tawada, Memoirs of a Polar Bear