11.How+does+the+incident+with+the+hitchhiker+relate+to+the+rest+of+the+story?

11.It says that just like Shiftlet, the boy runs away from his problems not caring much for other people. The boy doen't really care for his mother thinks he just wants freedom and the only way he can achieve that is by leaving home. "My old woman is a flea bag and yours is a stinking pole cat(840)!"