As far as Saunders was concerned, marriage didn’t mean much anymore and neither did the novel. Where could you find the marriage plot nowadays? You couldn’t. You had to read historical fiction.
-- Narration (A Madman In Love)

Importance: Madeleine’s professor makes the argument that the marriage plot in classic literature cannot be updated in modern fiction because historical developments (such as divorce) mean that the devices of the plot no longer make sense in contemporary society. The Marriage Plot itself becomes an argument against this stance by updating the classic marriage plot into a 1980s setting.

Mitchell’s relationship with Madeleine Hanna – his long, aspirational, sporadically promising yet frustrating relationship – had begun at a toga party during freshman orientation.
-- Narration (A Madman In Love)

Importance: Mitchell’s infatuation with Madeleine began the instant that they met, hinting at its superficiality. This quote underscores how central Mitchell’s infatuation with Madeleine becomes in his life, which is contrasted with Madeleine...