Reminder: Mother. Reminder: Animal.
-- Narration (Part 1, Chapter 4)

Importance: This line of narration conveys some of Molly's thoughts relating to her breast milk. Specifically, although she enjoys being able to nurture and nourish her children, she feels somewhat unnerved by the animalistic associations of having breast milk. The tone and conceptual content of these thoughts reveal some of Molly's misapprehensions about being a parent. She overcomes these misapprehensions over the course of the novel.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness she called Night.
-- Bible (Part 1, Chapter 12)

Importance: This sentence is from the Bible that Molly finds at the dig site. The Bible is notable in that it uses female pronouns to refer to God. The thematic significance of this fact is that it highlights various elements of societal misogyny, such as the fact that many religions use male pronouns to refer to God. These ideas parallel the novel's overall goal of highlighting tribulations of women's parental...