My last descent won’t be the tumbling helpless kind but a sharp gannet plunge.
-- Marian (Little America III, Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica; 3/4/50 (logbook of Marian Graves))

Importance: This quote epitomizes Marian's sense of resolve through the novel. She pursues her love of flight zealously and does not let obstacles (e.g. Barclay, her gender) get in her way. She does not allow herself to get into helpless situations, but solves her problems by confronting them. This quote is from the earliest pages in the novel, and provide the reader with a sense of Marian's nature.

She had planned to leave Missoula as soon as she got big enough.
-- Marian (Missoula; May 1927)

Importance: This quote highlights Marian's itinerant tendencies and desire for adventure. Even from an early age, she knows she will not be satisfied with a calm life in Missoula. Marian's desire to leave Missoula persists through the novel as she perpetually seeks adventure and movement through the world. The reader can consider this quote as...