Em, I told you, it's us and them. I told you not to trust anyone.
-- Emma's father (Chapter 1 paragraph 6)

Importance: This is Emma's hallucination about her father's words while she is semi-conscious. It establishes her father's admonition that "it's us and them," which has been her mantra throughout her life and one of the main themes of the novel.

I think about Leo, Anna, Meg, Sarah, Jake and Will, only not in that order. I force them into that order. I think about Will and Jake constantly, but I know Meg and Sarah are my responsibility. Anna is the closest thing, I will ever have to a best friend. I feel warmth in my heart thinking about them. I want to go home and they are the home that my heart recognizes. I don't need a cabin to hide in. I need my friends. My family.
-- Narrator/Emma (Chapter 3 paragraph 6)

Importance: This passage establishes the family that Emma has created...