“What kept Minli from becoming dull and brown like the rest of the village were the stories her family told her every night at dinner.”

This single quotation gives lots of information at the start of the novel: it establishes that Minli is different from everyone else, which is why she becomes the story’s hero; it describes the routine at home that brings Minli joy, that she’ll voluntarily give up when she goes on her quest, and that she'll come to appreciate when she doesn’t have it; and it emphasizes the importance of storytelling, which in Minli’s case, is almost a survival tool and certainly something that makes her capable of more than other people.

“In moments, he disappeared from view into the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, and if it wasn’t for the goldfish Minli had in her hands, all would have thought he was a dream.”

Minli senses something surreal about the goldfish man’s visit. Indeed, he arrives in the very moment she’s wishing for a way to bring her family luck, but whether his timing is magic or coincidence is up for debate. The goldfish man initiates Minli’s adventure. Like his visit, her entire adventure unfolds like a dream but produces evidence of reality.

“Money must be used sometime. What use is money in a bowl?”

Ba says this to Ma when she scolds Minli for buying a goldfish with her half of the only money she has to her name. This quote is illustrative of Ba’s even-keeled temperament, his willingness to embrace Minli’s choices, and his ability to put a positive spin on life.