Did all these kids come from perfectly happy families? Weren't any of them hiding something that was going on at home? They didn't seem to be.
-- Narrator (Part I: 1967 paragraph 2)

Importance: This quote is important because it shows how Willa - aside from her relationship with her sister - feels very alone. She has this perception that her family is the only one struggling. That all the other children at her school do not have to worry about an abusive mother, passive father, or any other problems. Willa struggles to believe that anyone is as bad off as her and her family, nor does she want people to suffer as she does.

Quietly buttering her biscuit, she felt important, suddenly. She was the sole reason these three people were sitting here. For once, she was the absolute center of her world...
-- Narrator (Part I: 1977 (41-73) paragraph 7)

Importance: This quote shows how Willa sees her life. Twenty-one years old and she has...