The story, originally titled “Killer in the Dinghy” contains some clearly autobiographical elements. Salinger (who was called “Sonny” by his family) resembles Boo Boo Tannenbaum's four-year-old son, Lionel, in that he “had a habit of running away from home when confronted by conflict.” Solidifying this association beyond any doubt, Salinger describes Lionel wearing a “Jerome the Ostrich” T-shirt – Salinger's first name is Jerome. Lionel's mother, "Boo Boo", employing great tact, succeeds in conveying to her son a simple and profound truth: fear and isolation can only be overcome through mutual support with other people.