"Under Helene's hand the girl became obedient and polite. Any enthusiams that little Nel showed were calmed by her mother until she drove her daughters imagination underground."
This is the first time we learn anything about Nel who is one of the main characters. This statement seems to foreshadow that Nel is probably a very tough character due to all the abuse she had taken from her mother. It intrigues the reader and makes them want to see what kind of woman Nel grows up to be.
