Dull and featureless it may have looked, but the Loney was a dangerous place. A wild and useless length of English coastline. A dead mouth of a bay that filled and emptied twice a day and made Coldbarow--a desolate spit of land a mile off the coast--into an island.
-- The Narrator (chapter 2)

Importance: This quote is a succinct description of the Loney, which is one of the most important pieces of the novel. The Loney's power is absolute in shaping the events and tone of the work as a whole.

There is no malice in your heart. The worst you're guilty of is a little desperation and that puts you in the company of a good many others, believe me.
-- Father Bernard (chapter 6)

Importance: This quote, in response to Mrs. Belderboss's confession that she had crushed sleeping pills into Mr. Belderboss's drink, demonstrates Father Bernard's compassion and leniency.

In some ways, she said, she was envious of me...
-- The Narrator (chapter 9)