What I was seeing was nothing less than how to present myself in the world.
-- Narrator (chapter 1)

Importance: At the start of her oral account, Lara tells her daughters about her foray into the theater. In this passage, she is describing the experience of watching her fellow townspeople audition for roles in Our Town. Doing so made Lara feel as if she was receiving an education. She was not simply learning how to and how not to act, but how to exist in the world. The moment establishes a connection between the theater and Lara's sense of self. Indeed, throughout much of her early adulthood, Lara shapes her identity according to the roles she plays.

Every thing leads to the next thing.
-- Emily (chapter 5)

Importance: While listening to Lara tell her story, Emily has a revelation about why her mother is including certain details. She suddenly understands the ways in which even the seeming minutia of...