I was never one of those people who believed, even a little bit, in ghosts…if I’m going to tell you this story then I need to recreate my state of mind from before I knew anything about ghosts, or death, or anything, really. Which means, among other things, revisiting a part of my life that makes me want to curse and weep and pound my forehead with regret.
-- Nick (Part 1, Chapter 1)

Importance: Nick makes these statements at the beginning the novel. These lines foreshadow Nick's dramatic personal transformation over the course of the main narrative, and they also foreshadow the idea that ghosts are somehow a part of the overall story. The overall dramatic effect helps draw the reader into the dramatic tension of the novel.

I couldn't believe, actually couldn't believe, that until that minute I’d been thinking I was done with Hannah.
-- Nick (Part 1, Chapter 1)

Importance: Nick makes this statement to describe the...