Fix Keating had fewer children and a nicer watch and a foreign car and a much-better-looking wife. The guy hadn't even made detective. If anyone had bothered to ask him at that moment, Cousins would have said it seemed suspicious.
-- Narrator/Bert (chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: Much of the character development throughout the novel comes from comparing one character against another. Here, Bert is comparing himself against his foil, Fix, who despite having a less fancy job title and less education, has many things that Bert envies.

This was the deal of taking her father to chemo when none of the doctors spoke in terms of a cure: this was the time she had, these were the stories she was going to get... more than anything it was to have a chance at the stories he was going to take with him.
-- Narrator/Franny (chapter 2 paragraph 2)

Importance: With the separation of her parents, Franny and her sister missed out on the...