We rhyme.
-- Ignace (chapter 1910)

Importance: This seemingly facile observation from Ignace—a reference to the phonetic similarity between his name and Agnes'—in fact functions as a guidepost for the novel's observations about the obstacles faced by Agnes and Ignace, who live inverted lives (Ignace as a poor, foreign man, and Agnes as a rich, American woman). The quote implies both that their lives are governed by similar forces and that they function as a complementary romantic couple, both of which meanings come into play later in the novel.

Life is the cause. One must go mad, sometimes.
-- Ignace (chapter 1910)

Importance: The notion that the set of impossible difficulties created by life's movements are unavoidable is a recurring one in the novel, and Wolfgang-Smith frequently implies that even extreme measures taken in order to endure these difficulties are justifiable. Ignace's suggestion that "madness" is an inherent part of experience speaks to the novel's idea that life's...