He wishes he could anesthetize himself and live without feeling anything.
-- Narrator (Part I: Chapter 1)

Importance: Found at the forefront of the novel, this quotation establishes Marcos's longing to numb himself to his life and his circumstances. Marcos wants to dull his emotional engagement with the world, not only because of his recent loss and pain, but because his job at Krieg Processing Plant forces him to betray his perceived moral code. The reader can interpret this line as evidence of Marcos's humanity. However, she may also interpret the line as a moment of foreshadowing, portending Marcos's eventual ability to desensitize himself to violence.

But he can't.
-- Narrator (Part I: Chapter 4)

Importance: Throughout the early chapters of the novel, Marcos's internal unrest is dictated by the recent death of his son Leo. In this scene, Marcos visits his late son's room and studies his cot. Although he knows that he must get rid of the cot before Cecilia returns home...