And so to reiterate, the targets, which are your work goals, your life goals, your spiritual goals, may always shift. But once [you are] a master archer…you will always remember to anticipate…Focus does not mean to simply gawk at something. It is to transform it.
-- Hark (chapter 2)

Importance: These lines of dialogue constitute the story's first insights relayed directly from Hark about the meaning of mental archery. Whenever Hark discusses the ideas and principles of mental archery, the narrative presents them in a vague and satirical way that is designed to frame mental archery as essentially hollow. Thus, one of the narrative functions of mental archery is to provide a platform of satire for similar self-help trends.

[Fraz] grew enamored of [Tovah’s] flaws, though, because they balanced out his, and because by dint of this equilibrium they could cultivate what he called a level loving field.
-- Narration (chapter 5)

Importance: These lines of narration...