I've never liked New Year's. The trouble with beginnings is that there's no such thing. What's a beginning but an arbitrary point of entry? You begin when you're born, I guess, but it's not like you know anything about that.
-- Ruth (December)

Importance: This quote illuminates Ruth's constant preoccupation with both memory and moving on from the past. After separating from Joel, she is forced to begin her life again in her parents' home. Feeling lost and heartbroken, it is understandable why she does not like New Year's or new beginnings. When she mentions that we do not remembering being born, she is foreshadowing her concern with her father's fading memory. These thoughts of memory flood much of her personal journal.

Anyway, the point is: Linus sees things differently.
-- Ruth (January)

Importance: This quote succinctly summarizes Linus's character as quite different from Ruth. Yet her respect for her brother never fades. Although she and Linus view...