Examine the author’s use of italics for particular words or phrases. What effect does each use have on the reader?

The author uses italics to accentuate specific words and phrases, in order to mark their importance in the text. One example of this can be found in the phrase, ". . . a cold, just a cold . . ," which speaks to the grandmother's determination to avoid the hospital and make light of her illness. From the text, we can infer that this claim was made repeatedly.