Even as a child, Ove and his father follow a very prescribed routine for their week, which presumably instills in Ove an early love of routines. Even though Tom is angry about it, he agrees to follow along with Ove's father's sense of right, wrong, and the rules governing how found items are dealt with. This shows both the power and respect that people give to Ove's father, as well as the power of generally accepted rules themselves. Ove is faced with a dilemma, as he has to decide whether to act like Tom or act like his father.