He refused to pay for his son to get educated in a part of the country he scorned for its snobbery and elitism...
-- Narration (Prologue)

Importance: This line of narration refers to the conflict between W.A. and Trudy over where to send Lincoln for college. W.A. did not want to send Lincoln to a school in the northeast, as that region of the country is more politically liberal. This quotation acknowledges cultural divisions that exist within the United States, and the novel repeatedly examines these divisions throughout its story.

Sunday morning was when they read the New York Times.
-- Narration (Prologue)

Importance: In his youth, Teddy became interested in religion. He began attending church, but his secular parents did not go with him. The above quotation alludes to that fact. However, his parents never shamed Teddy for his differing beliefs, and thus the novel provides an example of people peacefully coexisting despite having different...