How should a person be?
-- Sheila (Prologue paragraph 1)

Importance: From the very start of the novel, and in reference to the title, Sheila asks how a person should be. This includes everything, she explains, from how someone dresses to how they treat their lovers. No two people ever truly have the same answer, and no two people are ever truly the same, including Sheila herself. This sets the stage for the novel as Sheila seeks to find who she might best be.

You can admire anyone for being themselves… Responsibility looks so good on Misha, and irresponsibility looks so good on Margaux. How could I know which would look best on me?
-- Sheila (Prologue paragraph 2)

Importance: Sheila further explains here how she is looking to determine how she should be. Responsibility looks good on Misha, she explains, while irresponsibility looks good on Margaux. Sheila wonders what look would be best for her. This helps lay the foundation work...