Dilaudid

Dilaudid, a powerful opioid painkiller, symbolizes the truth and function as a type of narrative catalyst.

It is sold in pill form and taken orally. As the grandfather dies of bone cancer, he takes Dilaudid to ease his pain. A significant side effect is that it makes him very talkative, and he starts sharing his life story with the narrator. This is significant, because one of the grandfather’s main characteristics is how little he usually speaks. Moreover, the anecdotes that he tells the narrator are the basis for the entire book. Is seems significant that the grandfather speaks not out of a dying wish to express himself, but merely by chemical circumstances. This preserves the nature of the grandfather’s character while still allowing his stories to be told.

The Moon and Space Travel

The moon and space travel act as recurring symbols throughout the...