Yes, I consisted largely of my parents' ambitions, but some part of me was also made of the ogling, boggling eyeballs of the rest of our community.
-- Narrator (chapter 1)

Importance: At the start of the novel, Neil introduces and defines himself based on his parents, his community, and his best friend, Anita. The novel's opening line attends only to his reliance on his parents for a sense of self-definition. In this moment, Neil confesses that he also feels pressured by social expectations. This line foreshadows Neil's struggle throughout the novel, to free himself from others' notions of success, accomplishment, and contentment.

But you could never properly avoid, shun, renounce, extract, or untangle yourself from any other desi in Hammond Creek.
-- Narrator (chapter 1)

Importance: While at the home of family friends, Neil observes the way Shruti interacts with the group, and the way the group chastises and teases her. Observing this dynamic inspires Neil's musings on the...