Aaron’s father had failed him when he was a child, too busy steering the business out of the Depression. Aaron would never do that to his children, he told Joy. True to his word, she would say later: it was the business he failed.
-- Narrator (chapter 2)

Importance: Because Aaron thinks his father neglected his children in favor of his business, Aaron decides to go in the opposite direction. He spends his time playing with his children instead of paying attention to his business. For this reason, the business that Aaron inherited from his father goes bankrupt and leaves his family struggling financially.

She did mean something, that Daniel was a son not a daughter, and they both knew it, but it wasn’t his fault, and they both knew that, too.
-- Narrator (chapter 3)

Importance: Regardless if the daughter or son lives closer to his aging parents, it is understood that the daughter is more capable...