I watch it idly, for I am a young woman and live simply, in the present. I have not yet died and been reborn.
-- Narrator (Chapter 1)

Importance: The first page of this novel foreshadows what will happen to Sophia. She notes that she will die and be reborn, a statement that seems strange but turns out to be exactly what happens to her. This statement adds to the dark tone of the novel. It also helps the reader understand that this is the first time that Sophia has ever considered intentionally sinning.

A muffled snicker. The painter stifles his mirth. Behind his easel he is looking at me again; I can feel his eyes, though my own are fixed on the wall. I hate him.
-- Narrator (Chapter 3)

Importance: While Jan is painting Sophia and Cornelis’ portrait, she believe he is not only laughing at her but also looking at her in a sexually inappropriate way. At...