She is probably the only person in my life who has never wanted something from me, only for me.
-- Narrator: Wife (Part 1)

Importance: Although the wife's best friend Temi does not approve of her marriage, the wife has never attempted to cut Temi out of her life. She even tolerates Temi's constant disregard and lack of respect for her husband. This is because the wife believes Temi not only knows her better than anyone else, but cares about her more than anyone in her life ever has. This moment establishes the intimate bond the two friends share and thus introduces a primary conflict between the wife and her husband.

I'd never met someone my age who already knew who she was and didn't shape herself around other people's opinions.
-- Narrator: Wife (Part 1)

Importance: Throughout the wife's section of the novel, her narration often shifts into flashback. These passages offer the reader access to the wife's life before she...