It was like a foreign country to me. Except, in truth, foreign places always frighten me.
-- Narrator (Book One, Chapter 1)

Importance: When Lucy first arrives in Maine, she is taken by the beauty of the sea. In spite of the awe-inspiring landscape, it also makes Lucy feel afraid. Her response to the ocean in this scene introduces the author's explorations regarding fear. The moment is also revealing of Lucy's character, and foreshadows her coming emotional journeys.

Grief is a private thing. God, is it a private thing.
-- Narrator (Book One, Chapter 3)

Importance: Although Lucy's second husband David died a year prior to the narrative present, her grief grows with time. In this moment, she is glad for William's company, but realizes there is nothing he can do to alleviate her sorrow. Despite the private nature of grief Lucy is discovering and describing here, Lucy does not disguise her distress from the reader. The moment creates intimacy between the narrator and...