I don’t want him to read my slowness as fear, as weakness, as me not being old enough to look at death like a man should, so I grip and yank.
-- Jojo (chapter 1)

Importance: In this quote Jojo accompanies his grandfather as he prepares to slaughter an animal. The quote reflects the importance of Pop as a male role model in Jojo's life and how he understands masculinity as a result of Pop's influence. The quote also introduces an important them in the novel, the importance of understanding the meaning of death.

But it was impossible to not hear the animals, because I looked at them and understood, instantly, and it was like looking at a sentence and understanding the words, all of it coming to me at once.
-- Jojo (chapter 1)

Importance: Like the other members of his family, Jojo has a supernatural gift that connects him more closely to the natural world. In this...