“Just imagine,” Phaethon thought, “how many people now are looking up at the sky, praising the sun, hoping the weather stays fair. How many people are watching
me, me, me . . . ?” Then he thought, “But I’m too small to see. Th ey can’t even see the
coach or the horses — only the great wheel. We are too far and the light is too bright.
For all they know, it is Apollo making his usual run. How can they know it’s me,
me, me? How will my mother know, and my sisters? Th ey would be so proud. And
Epaphus — above all, Epaphus — how will he know? I’ll come home tomorrow after
this glorious journey and tell him what I did and he will laugh at me and tell me I’m
lying, as he did before. And how shall I prove it to him? No, this must not be. I must
show him that it is I driving the chariot of the sun — I alone. Apollo said not to come too close to the earth, but how will he know? And I won’t stay too long — just dip down
toward our own village and circle his roof three times — which is the signal we agreed
upon. After he recognizes me, I’ll whip up the horses and resume the path of the day.

After reading this paragraph, answer the question below.

How does Phaethon's character influence the climax of the story and the resolution of the conflict?