Old and free! Old and free...
-- Narrator

Importance: Otto's impending holiday dinner with his siblings compels him into reflection on his familial relationships. After his mother died, he thought he would be liberated from family obligations. However, his siblings, particularly Corinne, are desperate to keep the family together. In this moment, Otto becomes exasperated. He thinks that his age should warrant his freedom. However, Otto remains ensnared by the unresolved conflicts of the past. The exclamation, repetition, and elision employed in the construction of this line enacts Otto's desperation, frustration, and confusion.

A barren landscape dotted with clutter.
-- Narrator

Importance: After his phone call with Corinne, Otto wonders about the relevance of his past to his present life. Though he acknowledges that Corinne is right in saying that their sibling relationships once defined the world, he no longer believes this to be true. Indeed, he sees his childhood as an arid and sorrowful place...