My older sister has entire kingdoms inside of her, and some of them are only accessible at certain seasons, in certain kinds of weather. One such melting occurs in summer rain, at midnight, during the vine-green breathing time right before sleep. You have to ask the right question, throw the right rope bridge, to get there—and then bolt across the chasm between you, before your bridge collapses.
-- Ava (“Ava Wrestles the Alligator” )

Importance: Ossie is possessed, and Ava is stuck alone with her in Swamplandia! This quote is important because it shows how desperate Ava is to connect with her only family member.

Strange lights burn off the swamp at night. Overhead, the clouds stretch across the sky like some monstrous spider-web, dewed with stars. Tiny planes from the Mainland whir towards the yellow moon, only to become cobwebbed by cloud.
-- Ava (“Ava Wrestles the Alligator” )

Importance: Because Ava is alone in the swamp without any parents or even neighbors, it...