You're not dreaming.
-- Mourad (Pages 1 - 5)

Importance: When Mourad first appears at Aram's window riding My Heart, Aram is convinced he is dreaming. Sensing his cousin's disbelief, Mourad insists that both he and the horse are the substance of reality. The line disrupts Aram's ethereal narration, and allows the reader to temporarily believe that the dimensions of Aram's memory are sure. At the same time, however, Aram does not fully know what to believe about Mourad, making his words suddenly appear less trustworthy. The author uses this moment to introduce his thematic interest in the relativity of memory and honesty.

Most important of all, though, we were famous for our honesty.
-- Narrator (Pages 1 - 5)

Importance: As Aram struggles to decide whether or not his cousin could have stolen the horse, he explains his family's fabled reputation. Everyone knows that the Garoghlanians are a proud people who value integrity. Because of this, Aram does not want to believe that...