Certificate: Certified Hyperbaric Technician

As the work opens, Young begins by disclosing the fact that her husband Pak has asked her to lie. Yet as Young goes to sit in Pak's seat, she bumps his certificate and "it went slightly crooked, as if to remind [her] that this wasn't a regular business" (5). The certificate's slant is indicative of the slant of the story that is about to be told. The certificate, askew, symbolized all of the stories that unfold in alternate narratives that give the overall incidents a personal spin. The certificate also foreshadows how events will be skewed, and this crooked path will cause many lives to go awry.

Barney Song

The Barney Song is symbolic of family, as the refrain chants "I love you, you love me, we're a happy fami-" (7). Yet the chorus remains unfinished when the lines are first disclosed. This bespeaks the...