Does he ever stop to consider his life? The meaning of it, the point? Does it trouble him to think that he will probably spend his next thirty or forty years this way? Nobody knows. And it's almost certain nobody's ever asked him.
-- Narrator (chapter 1)

Importance: This framing of Micah's life is important because it poses the central conflict from which all of Micah's other conflicts in the novel will emerge: his inability to reflect critically on his life. His resistance to looking at his life implicates every major aspect of the novel: Micah's routine, his relationship history, his profession, and his attitude towards his family. Micah's social isolation is underscored by the narrator's observation that nobody has ever asked him these questions.

Well, thanks for listening,' she said abruptly. She clicked off.
-- Cass (chapter 1)

Importance: This is Cass' response to Micah when he makes light of her concerns over being evicted. It is evident...