Ko’s assertion that “everyone [has] stories they [tell] themselves to get through the day” is worth considering, since it applies to many of the characters in
The Leavers. Indeed, Polly tells herself that she tried to find Daniel even though she did very little to reunite with him once she settled into her life with Yong. Similarly, Vivian claims to have done everything she could to have “helped” Daniel in the aftermath of his mother’s disappearance, but the reality is that she simply gave him away (though, to be fair, she didn’t have any other way to provide for him). Even Daniel often deceives himself, finding creative ways to rationalize his gambling relapses. As such, Ko spotlights how easily people trick themselves into ignoring their shortcomings.