Thus, memory seems to be the controlling theme of this piece. An example of this is when Paul tells the story of how his dad came to visit his newborn grandson. "He poked his head into the carriage for a tenth of a second, straightened up and said to my wife, "A beautiful baby. Good luck with it," and then proceeded to walk into the house.For the rest of the visit that day, he did not look at Daniel, and not once, ever, did he ask to hold him," (Auster 61). Through stories such as these, Auster successfully portrays his father as an inconsiderate, self-centered, cold, stubborn and unsympathetic person. .

             In the second half of this work, there is a contradiction between the father Auster describes in the first half and the second half of this book. A model of this is when Auster works under the hot sun tarring roofs and knocks over one of the open tar barrels, spilling tar all over himself. He writes, "When I got back to the office a few minutes later, my father was greatly amused. To my father"s credit, he did not get mad at me or make fun of me. He laughed, but in a way that made me laugh also. Then, he dropped what he was doing and took me to Woolworth"s across the street, and bought me some new clothes," (Auster 92). Another story is when Auster opens a note from Mrs. JB Nash, who was a former resident of his father"s building. In it, she gives thanks to Paul"s father for being a nice man to her and her children during their time of poverty. By going into the past, Auster effectively portrays his father as a kind, considerate, thankful, patient, and caring man. .

             Paul recognizes his contradictory statements concerning his father, but dismisses it by stating, "He was good, or he was bad, he was this, or he was that. All of them are true. At times I have the feeling that I am writing about three or four different men, each one distinct, each one a contradiction of all others," (Auster 94).