Mom says the brain is like a muscle, and if you don’t exercise it by reading and doing creative stuff, it’ll get weak and mushy.
-- Mom (n/a)

Importance: Here, the root of Greg’s major problem for the novel is spelled out by his Mom. His Mom does not believe that Greg is exercising his brain enough, as demonstrated by his failure to buy books at the book fair. She believes Greg must do something creative to kick his brain into action.

Mom said if I turned off the television and put down my game controller, I might discover a talent I never knew I had.
-- Mom (n/a)

Importance: Here, Mom lays out the specifics. She wants to see Greg put away TV and video games in the hopes that he will find a way to exercise his brain by reading or doing something creative. And if he does something creative, she believes Greg...