God must work in the same way.
-- Narrator (Part I: Chapter 2)

Importance: Jas has this thought regarding praying in the dark. Wondering why all prayer must happen at night, she thinks God must function the same way the glow-in-the-dark stars on a duvet operate: only visible and working when there is no other light. The line illustrates Jas's attempt to understand her world via the Biblical and spiritual teachings of her family's faith. As the novel evolves, Jas's reliance on the divine loosens and lessens.

My poo belonged to me, but once it was between the blades of grass, it belonged to the world.
-- Narrator (Part I: Chapter 4)

Importance: Jas has this thought regarding her fear of defecating. Though she is experiencing significant physical discomfort from her constipation, she also worries that if she empties herself, she will lose some vital facet of her identity. Appearing early on in the narrative, this line establishes the symbolic parallel between Jas's physical...