JP: I assume we’re hearing Billy’s thoughts in the last paragraph and sentence. Why does Billy believe in a god who wants certain people to be drunks?

Dan Corfield: Yes, it is Billy’s voice. I think Billy says this because he has a real investment in the belief that God does everything for a reason. He too is a recovering alcoholic in AA, although he is somewhat newer to the program. His spiritual condition is in that precarious position of being susceptible to any criticism. To question God’s plan is to question God’s very existence. Billy also has the somewhat self-centered notion that God is showing him what happens when you drink, as if Mike is a sort of object lesson for his personal benefit.