The essence of growing up is to play hide-and-seek with one’s mother successfully.
-- Nikolai (chapter 1)

Importance: As the novel opens, Nikolai expresses that one cannot be friends with one’s mother. Instead, he believes that a son or daughter’s job is to be able to hide successfully from a mother. He ultimately achieves his belief—he effectively hid his unstable state of mind from his family and friends. While he made plans for his room in the new house and looked forward to studying Macbeth, he also made plans for his own death.

The key is to have someone you trust agree to live longer.
-- Mother (chapter 2)

Importance: The mother and Nikolai are discussing poetry. They specifically discuss Philip Larkin’s journals. Upon his death, the insides of his journals were taken out and burned. Nikolai applauds this move, and it is inferred that he destroyed his poetry before his death since the mother...