We all have to be ourselves during this crisis.
-- Ed (Act 1: Chapter 1)

Importance: When Ed first arrives at the House on the Hill, Masha is overly precautious about the virus. She wants to make sure that he changes, washes his hands, and social distances from her and her family. In this moment, Ed excuses Masha's behavior, saying that everyone can choose however she acts in response to the virus. Masha silently disagrees. The third person free indirect narrator inhabits both characters' points of view in this scene, revealing their different outlooks and regards for one another. Ed's words also foreshadow the characters' coming interactions over the course of the novel.

She knew she would soon be bathed in her friends' many problems.
-- Narrator (Act 1: Chapter 2)

Importance: When Karen arrives at Senderovsky's, she brings Nat home from her outing in a neighboring field. Witness Nat's parents' upset over their daughter's temporary disappearance, makes Karen realize that their problems will...