How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
[This is for] the way loneliness is worse when you return to it after a reprieve—like the soul's version of putting on a wet bathing suit, clammy and miserable. (3.24)
This is some great loneliness imagery. Like a wet bathing suit, Karou's loneliness clings to her. She's an orphan, so we understand why she's especially sensitive about being alone.
Quote #2
Zuzana looked back and saw the expression that Karou sometimes got when she thought no one was watching. It was sadness, lostness, and the worst thing about it was the way it seemed like a default. (10.35)
What do you think your default expression looks like, and what does it say about you? Karou is so used to being alone, that when she forgets to put a front, she just looks like a sad puppy dog in a pet store.
Quote #3
Karou didn't want to need it. Yearning for love made her feel like a cat that was always twining around ankles, meowing Pet me, pet me, look at me, love me. (10.109)
Karou conjures up a pathetic image of herself here, mostly likely from the shame she feels at feeling lonely. She tries to make her loneliness into a strength, by being "cool and aloof" (10.111), but that attitude doesn't change how she feels.