My Beloved World

My Beloved World

by

Sonia Sotomayor

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on My Beloved World makes teaching easy.
Dawn Cardi is a public defender at the New York City DA’s office. She’s a natural defense attorney, as she distrusts authority and wants to stick up for the underdog whenever possible. Though the stereotype that prosecutors and defenders can’t be friends persists, Dawn and Sonia nevertheless form a strong friendship during their time working together—and sometimes against—each other. Their regular conversations help Sonia remember the power of mercy, compassion, and fairness, and they occasionally work together to lessen sentences when they both know a harsh sentence would ruin a defendant’s life. Following her divorce, Sonia moves into the same apartment building in Brooklyn where Dawn lives, and Dawn is distraught when Sonia insists on moving out when she becomes a judge (judges must live in their district, but judges often break this rule).

Dawn Cardi Quotes in My Beloved World

The My Beloved World quotes below are all either spoken by Dawn Cardi or refer to Dawn Cardi. 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:
Optimism, Determination, and Adversity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 21 Quotes

Certainly, no one could accuse me of being a soft touch, but talking with Dawn always reminded me of the human costs of my success, the impact on an individual’s life and his family. Her perspective allowed me to trust the voice in my own head that occasionally whispered: how about exercising a little discretion; having a little faith in human nature?

Related Characters: Sonia Sotomayor (speaker), Dawn Cardi
Page Number: 262
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

I’ve always turned the families of friends into family of my own. The roots of this practice are buried deep in my childhood, in the broad patterns of Puerto Rican culture, in the particular warmth of Abuelita’s embrace and her charged presence at the center of my world, the village of aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and compadres scattered across the Bronx. I’d observe how the tribe extended its boundaries, with each marriage adding not just a new member but a whole new clan to ours.

Related Characters: Sonia Sotomayor (speaker), Dawn Cardi
Page Number: 291
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

Still, each time I found myself in a blood sugar crisis, I couldn’t help but notice that some unlikely intervention had saved my life, whether a friend just happening by or phoning out of the blue, or, one time, Dawn’s little Rocky, who, finding me unconscious, barked furiously, refusing to be calmed, until he drew attention where it was needed.

Related Characters: Sonia Sotomayor (speaker), Dawn Cardi, Alessandro
Page Number: 355
Explanation and Analysis:
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My Beloved World PDF

Dawn Cardi Quotes in My Beloved World

The My Beloved World quotes below are all either spoken by Dawn Cardi or refer to Dawn Cardi. 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:
Optimism, Determination, and Adversity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 21 Quotes

Certainly, no one could accuse me of being a soft touch, but talking with Dawn always reminded me of the human costs of my success, the impact on an individual’s life and his family. Her perspective allowed me to trust the voice in my own head that occasionally whispered: how about exercising a little discretion; having a little faith in human nature?

Related Characters: Sonia Sotomayor (speaker), Dawn Cardi
Page Number: 262
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

I’ve always turned the families of friends into family of my own. The roots of this practice are buried deep in my childhood, in the broad patterns of Puerto Rican culture, in the particular warmth of Abuelita’s embrace and her charged presence at the center of my world, the village of aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and compadres scattered across the Bronx. I’d observe how the tribe extended its boundaries, with each marriage adding not just a new member but a whole new clan to ours.

Related Characters: Sonia Sotomayor (speaker), Dawn Cardi
Page Number: 291
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

Still, each time I found myself in a blood sugar crisis, I couldn’t help but notice that some unlikely intervention had saved my life, whether a friend just happening by or phoning out of the blue, or, one time, Dawn’s little Rocky, who, finding me unconscious, barked furiously, refusing to be calmed, until he drew attention where it was needed.

Related Characters: Sonia Sotomayor (speaker), Dawn Cardi, Alessandro
Page Number: 355
Explanation and Analysis: