Fourteen thousand feet below, waves explode onto reefs and tourists gobble deep-fried prawns, but up here it feels to Basil as though life is finally beginning.
-- Narrator (Pages 153 - 156)

Importance: Almost immediately after Basil arrives at the observatory, he feels different about his banal life. In this moment, the author uses the observatory as a symbolic representation of Basil's illusory hopes and dreams. He is physically suspended above life on the ground in Hawaii, and therefore separated from reality. His belief that his real life is finally starting is a fantasy, and will dissolve in the coming months. The moment acts as foreshadowing, while also contributing to the author's explorations concerning happiness and dreams.

Yet on the calendar of his life, what hours have shone more brightly?
-- Narrator (Pages 153 - 156)

Importance: Though Basil believes that he is in love with Muriel moments after meeting her, his affection for her only grows over the coming months. Even during Basil's...