You're doing it again, Jonas.
-- Angela (chapter 2)

Importance: Angela says this Jonas whenever she senses he is emotionally withdrawing. Frustrated at Jonas's seeming inability to authentically engage with any significant life event, Angela's words challenge Jonas to pull out of himself and confront the hurt in front of him. This line recurs throughout the novel, reminding both Jonas and the reader of Jonas's continued need to address his emotional difficulties.

When you think about it, it's all really the same story.
-- Bill (chapter 2)

Importance: Bill says this to Jonas regarding their clients' asylum statements. Though Bill's words refer immediately to the seeming repetitions in the center's clients' stories, they also illuminate Jonas's feelings about story in general. Without his elaborate narrative embellishments, Jonas believes no tale is really that different from any other. Throughout the novel, the author attempts to challenge this notion, particularly using Angela's voice of reason to stir Jonas's preconception.

There's no such...
-- Angela (chapter 4)