Instantly, we took a dislike.
-- Narrator (Pages 65 - 69)

Importance: When the little widow first moves into the New York apartment, the neighbors huddle at their doors and peepholes and watch her. Although they know little about her, they judge her in this moment based on her appearance. They decide that they dislike her because their observations are inflected by their preconceptions, biases, and prejudices. This moment establishes their relationship with the widow.

But rendered in the little widow's hand, these familiar dolls took on an eerie quality.
-- Narrator (Pages 65 - 69)

Importance: After the neighbors learn that the widow sews, they start bringing their clothing to her. However, they do not respect or like her, they rather want access to the interior of her space and life. Therefore, as soon as they find something off-putting about her home, they cut her out once more. In this scene, Sonia is discovering the dolls on her walls and sending the picture...