For a long time he had been speaking.
-- Narration (chapter 1)

Importance: In Adam's first scene, he is talking at length, and he soon finds that Amber has quietly deserted him. This moment (along with the anecdote that Amber then tells about her stepfather) initiates the novel's thematic exploration of speech and communication. Specifically, the actions of Adam and of Amber's stepfather demonstrate how speech may be used in such a way that actual communication becomes more difficult.

Dr. Erwood—one of few openly gay men in Topeka, and so a frequent target of Reverend Fred Phelps and his followers...
-- Narration (chapter 1)

Importance: Although Dr. Kenneth Erwood is not a prominent character in the novel, the narration includes the above information when first introducing him. This information foreshadows the novel's thematic explorations of morality and sociopolitics. The novel has an admirably progressive sociopolitical agenda, and it strengthens this agenda by illustrating real-world antagonists such as Fred Phelps...