Baba Jan was asleep in his room, but he was everywhere as always; and the long threat of dying added to his power.
-- Narrator (Part One, Chapter 2)

Importance: When Baba Jan is still alive at the outset of the novel, his conservative dogmas dictate the family’s interactions and behavior. This quotation serves to illuminate the manner in which his rigid religious and social beliefs sways every family member’s understanding of their personal identity, relationships with one another, and social role. Laila feels entrapped within the zenana and the familial belief, dictated by Baba Jan, that women need to be subservient and do not have the authority to make their own decisions.

Offensive manner? She's used to it.
-- Zahra (Part One, Chapter 5)

Importance: Throughout Sunlight on a Broken Column, the author thematically examines class. Zahra serves as a symbol for unquestioning privilege in the elite sphere. She ridicules a servant for sweeping and does not question her abusive language...