Every addict has a story about the impermanence of their addiction.
-- Narrator (chapter 2)

Importance: When Berg first moves to Talinas, he is no longer using. Yet shortly after, he relapses, convincing himself once again, that he will get clean as soon as Nell returns from tour. Having struggled with his opioid addiction for several years, Berg is aware of the lies he constantly tells himself, the variety of ways he deludes himself and minimizes the severity of his drug use. This line begins a pattern of thinking that permeates the novel. As Berg quits and relapses several more times over the course of the narrative, he continues to justify his use, to fabricate new stories about how this time will be the last time. This flawed mode of thinking, however, proves unsustainable, and ultimately keeps Berg from discovering himself, and from acknowledging his need to change.

A successful taper is like walking a...
-- Narrator (chapter 3)