America, said Horace, the office temp, was a run-down and demented pimp...'We're the bitches of the First World.'”
-- Horace (chapter 1)

Importance: These statements by Horace are among the first lines of the novel. Throughout the book, the characters view modern American society as built on an increasingly unstable capitalist system, and this idea fuels the narrative's examination of the vicissitudes of modern life. Horace's opening statements help to begin establishing this thematic focus.

The bile was a good sign. It’s when they stop trying to destroy you, my mother once said, that you should really start to worry.
-- Milo (Narration) (chapter 2)

Importance: Milo has these thoughts after receiving a somewhat caustic text from his wife Maura. This moment helps to establish the growing emotional distance between Milo and Maura, as well as their faint underlying hopes that they may still be able to maintain their relationship. these paradoxes characterize their relationship throughout the novel...