The room. The radiator. Een Amerikaan met een strafblad. Olive green water of the canal.
-- Theodore Decker (Chapter 1, Section i paragraph 3)

Importance: The translation of the Dutch portion of the quote is: An American with a criminal record. This quote provides one example of the stream of consciousness mode that the author uses to draw the reader into the mind of Theodore Decker. This is done purposefully and with meaning by the author; the reader can see that Theodore Decker is lonely, scared, depressed and perhaps suicidal.

('Van Gogh loved Hals too. Somewhere, he’s writing about Hals and he says: Frans Hals has no less than twenty-nine shades of black! Or was it twenty-seven?')
-- Audrey Decker (Chapter 1, Section iv paragraph 34)

Importance: Black is a symbol for death. This foreshadows Audrey's death.

'Well, the Dutch invented the microscope,' she said. 'They were jewelers, grinders of lenses. They want it all as detailed as possible because even the tiniest things mean something. Whenever...
-- Audrey Decker (Chapter 1, Section iv paragraph 32)