Kevin’s social studies project, in which he’s supposed to research and present a topic with a partner, is the reason for his first big lie. He pretends to have a made-up illness and manipulates Katie into doing all the work because he doesn’t want to work with her. Gary Paulsen positions this purely selfish motivation as one example of the major character flaw behind Kevin’s lies—a flaw he must overcome in the course of the narrative. He’s selfish; he puts his own needs, desires, comfort, and convenience above the needs of others. Deep down, Kevin knows lying is wrong, but he avoids feeling guilty by rationalizing his lies. Even though he successfully convinces himself that he’s helping other people when he lies to them, his real reasons are apparent. As the first example of this flaw, the social studies project symbolizes The Selfish Motives and Rationalizations for Lying.

The car that Kevin shares with his siblings, Daniel and Sarah, was a gift from their Auntie Buzz. Though only Sarah currently has a driver’s license, Kevin and Daniel feel she should drive them where they want or need to go.