Saturday, December 10, 2016

Why did Dad not notice the record player was skipping?

By the time Kenny makes his dad realize that the record player is skipping, Dad has been driving for nearly eighteen hours straight already. Note how Kenny describes his father when he wakes up:

The green lights from the dashboard made his face look puffed up and tired, but he was smiling to himself.

In the previous chapter, we learn that Dad wanted to cut costs and travel as uninterrupted as possible, instead of making the numerous stopovers Wilona had planned. He admits to never having driven this far and long but remains optimistic and unwavering in his decision. As a result of the long, monotonous drive, the sound of the skipping record player seems to have receded into the background of his subconscious as he stays focused on a seemingly endless road. He only realizes their record player is no longer functioning when it's starting to get bright outside. This means he's been in what one could call a "driving trance" all night. Further evidence of this is seen with the way he rambles on in a fatigued but happy stupor the moment all of them are awake.

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