It took a disease eating my brain to help me remember.
-- Todd (Pages 1 - 84)

Importance: Todd's diagnosis with dementia acts as the inciting event behind his first-person narration. Once Todd realizes that he is losing his memory, he sets out to recollect and record all his childhood, adolescent, and young adult memories. His narration is thus inspired by his desperation to preserve his life story and solidify his legacy.

The lesson was a simple one, reinforced by a lifetime of continuing education: everything that happened to the Young family afterward . . . all started with one little lie.
-- Narrator (Pages 1 - 84)

Importance: Rafi's dream about the orange coat triggers his traumatic childhood memories. The dream is a near replica of his childhood trauma and therefore causes Rafi to feel overcome by guilt and shame once more. This moment captures a distinct facet of Rafi's identity and fraught past, providing insight into his character evolution over the years that follow.

I...
-- Todd (Pages 1 - 84)