Never go into the deep parts of the forest, for there are many dangers there, both dark and bright, and they will ensnare your soul.
-- Serafina's father (chapter 4 paragraph 90)

Importance: Serafina’s father tries to keep her out of the forest because it is mysterious and full of dark things and he wants to protect her. On another level though, he knows that she was born of a mysterious force in the forest. He is afraid that if she goes there, he will lose her to it. Thus, he is also protecting himself, too.When Serafina realizes that she has an affinity with the forest and calls herself a creature of the night, she wonders whether she is evil and part of the forest's dark forces. However, she remembers her father saying that there is both dark and bright there. She realizes that she is the "bright," not the "dark." Once she realizes and accepts...