Excitement was making Harold's mouth lose control.
-- Narrator (A Woman's Hand)

Importance: When Harold and Evelyn Fazackerley run into Clem Dowson on Bandana Beach, Evelyn immediately notices Harold's usually controlled behavior begin to change. In this moment, the narrator is inhabiting Evelyn's consciousness, and therefore depicting the situation from her point of view. The line therefore reveals Harold's attachment to Clem and Evelyn's perception of their dynamic. This moment in turn contributes to the story's explorations of longing and repression.

What I admire most in Dowson . . . is his ability to choose.
-- Harold Fazackerley (A Woman's Hand)

Importance: The way that Harold Fazackerley speaks about Clem Dowson to his wife reveals his true feelings for his friend. Harold never overtly expresses what he feels for Clem. However, voicing his envy and admiration of Clem's life conveys his desire to live similarly. Both men are constrained by social conventions, and are forced to hide their sexualities and true selves as a result.

After...
-- Narrator (The Full Belly)