S. realizes the bizarre interpersonal situation he finds himself in: the only people who know him are these strangers sitting around the campfire. To everyone else, he’s just a body. Dourst accurately captures the uncertainty of S.’s mind as it clings to every detail and reflects on it.
Ostrero’s story that bears resentment of his parents reminds Jen and Eric of the stories they’ve shared. Jen apologizes for complaining so much, because compared to Eric’s, they aren’t as bad. Eric starts a dialogue about forgiveness and time. Jen believes religion should make people more forgiving, but Eric says that “believing something doesn’t change who you are.” This moment is one of many vulnerable and trust-building exchanges in the book. In fact, Eric continues to explain that he wrote everything “on the fly” as opposed to his usual “fastidious” approach to communicating. Jen advises him to be free and “just write“.
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