He could not escape himself.
-- Narrator (chapter 1)

Importance: The novel opens with the third person narrator's attention on Arman's character. Throughout Chapter 1, the narrator therefore inhabits Arman's consciousness in order to convey his internal struggles and psychological complications. In this scene, while Arman rides the bus to work, he reflects on his life since relocating to Virginia. Ever since losing his wife and his son and leaving his home in Iraq, Arman has been attempting to estrange himself from his past. He therefore hopes that divorcing himself from his true identity might help him escape his trauma.

What if even the good ones were only responding to circumstances?
-- Narrator (chapter 2)

Importance: When Arman is forced to start working with Catherine and Lamar on the John Doe case, he is unsure how to answer their questions and if he should trust them. His inability to discern if they are honest or trustworthy stems from his past relationships...