I thought he wasn’t going to do it anymore. Murphy said he was cured.
-- Mother (N/A paragraph 2)

Importance: James’ mother says this to herself in prayer after discovering the letter James wrote. Mather is referring to James’ compulsive lying. Mother’s words and the context of prayer help to emphasize a sense of pain and desperation, thereby emphasizing James’ lying a central source of dramatic tension.

If I were you…I wouldn't make too much of this.
-- Dr. Murphy (N/A paragraph 17)

Importance: Dr. Murphy says this while on the phone with James’ mother. Murphy exhibits a much calmer attitude regarding James’ compulsive lying, contrasting with Mother’s general sense of pain, anxiety, and panic. Murphy thusly serves to add uncertainty and ambiguity to the narrative.

Things were never easy between my mother and me…Even things I did well got on her nerves.
-- James (N/A paragraph 2)

Importance: James says this in narration while discussing the history of his familial relationship with his...