Kolkata was also sometimes a refuge, not only from the bitter cold of a Brooklyn winter, but from the solitude of a personal life that had become increasingly desolate over time, even as my professional fortunes prospered.
-- Narrator (chapter 1)

Importance: This is an ironic statement. One would expect their personal life to improve as their fortunes prosper, but Deen has been unable to find someone to spend his life with, despite desperately seeking someone to love. He suffers silently over the woman that was killed because of him in his youth, and that suffering has translated into a distancing of himself and an incredible focus on his work - allowing him to prosper in his fortunes but isolating him from love.

I'm sure they were,' I said. 'People of that sort will believe anything, won't they?
-- Deen (chapter 2)

Importance: Deen prides himself on being a rational, well-educated man. He feels that those who believe...