He said the sins of the father must be made right by the son. He told me to tell you that it’s hard to be useful and sad.
-- The Prophet (Book 1: Slow Violence)

Importance: The Prophet passes these words on to Simon, and they prove to be incredibly formative within the larger narrative. The idea of redeeming the sins of the father is, of course, instrumental in the novel's philosophical dealings. And beyond that, the additional piece of advice—that one cannot be useful and sad—ties into Hawley's broader arguments about faith, belief, love, and friendship in the face of adversity.

The point is people say they love something, but really what they love is using it.
-- Louise (Book 1: Slow Violence)

Importance: This quote exposes Louise's cynical attitude and difficulty trusting people, but it also functions as a meditation on one of the novel's major themes: exploitation. The question of who is using who and for what is one...