Sometimes you have to lie. Sometimes it’s the only way to protect the ones you love.
-- Lillian (Chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: The principal thing Lillian seeks from her husband at the end of the novel is forgiveness. This forgiveness is for everything that happened on the island, from Lillian falling for Dave to killing Kent to lying about Paul and everything else. Jerry is very understanding, and says he forgave Lillian a long time ago.

At this point, she wasn’t completely sure herself what the truth was. It was only at night, in the darkness, that she found she couldn’t forget.
-- Narrator (Chapter 5 paragraph 15)

Importance: As the novel begins to unfold, and the lies Lillian has told become unraveled by the truth, Lillian comes to realize just how difficult it has become to discern between the two. This comes not just because of the well-constructed nature of the lies, but because of the harrowing experience of...