Many would call me a dishonest man, but I’ve always kept faith with myself. There is an honesty in that, I think.
-- Narrator (Chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: This opening quote by narrator and main character Aziz foreshadows the idea that he has undergone a great change. This change appears to not necessarily be for the best but Aziz seems to have found some way to come to terms with his change.

The living and dead were locked together inside the container.
-- Narrator (Chapter 1 paragraph 17)

Importance: After the Taliban attacked the village of Sperkai, the people, including Ali and Aziz’s parents were gathered together and locked inside a shipping container. The boys were later sure that their parents were killed in this container when Ali found his father’s ring inside the same container. The boys know their father would never have left his ring behind if he’d been alive.

You understand how to defend your brother...
-- Hamza (Chapter 1 paragraph 52)