Mom abandoned us just now. Don’t blame men when it was clearly her choice to make.
-- Eve (Chapter One)

Importance: This early quote from Eve, made in response to Vera's assertion that Jane's absence in their lives has to do with her struggles to escape oppression by patriarchy, introduces one of the central ethical questions of the novel: though Jane clearly does labor under unfair conditions, she also routinely neglects her daughters. Ausubel is curious about how far the empathy we extend to grievers goes when responsibility is involved, and examines thoroughly the ways in which Jane's own pain prevents her from being a capable parent. Eve lays out this moral quandary in this quote.

You do love me and I know it. This is exactly, exactly, what love feels like.
-- Jane (Chapter One)

Importance: Here, Jane dismisses Eve's assertions that she "hates" Jane for making her life complicated and difficult by implying that love itself is...