why does the author insert chapter 13 as time for haley to reflect on the familiar

Chapter 13 signals a turning point in the novel and the author structures the chapter so that is stands out from the regular flow of the plot. The chapter is very short, consisting of only two pages. It reverts to the present tense. Haley is reflecting on the Familiar. She talks about everything that is familiar in life such as a person's morning routine, the passing of the seasons, her uncle shaving the same side of his face first, visiting the prison, and eating tacos every Tuesday. She calls it The Familiar. Here the author capitalizes the word and treats it as an entity in itself. Usually the word is an adjective. However, here it takes on the properties of a proper noun and represents the collective grouping of everything that a person is accustomed to in life. This is an elevation of the word because it is an important concept to Haley. She is at a major turning point in her life, anticipating her father's return home and figuring out what life will look like with him in it. The Familiar is her friend because she knows what to expect. She realizes that The Familiar changes all the time. Things were familiar at school in their classroom, but Ms. Laverne asked them to change and grow. As the successive chapters will show, Haley and her friends do just that.