beth lives on her own at first, and toph becomes eggers's responsibility. eggers, a man only in his early 20s, has to raise a child as if he were his own. eggers's life can no longer involve things many 20-year-olds would like to do. for example, eggers can not stay out of the house all night at the bar and bring home a different girl every week, something which he talks about wanting to do in his book in detail.