Essay about Analysis of Teenage Wasteland - 1129 Words

The Imperfection of Perfection In Anne Tyler’s â€Å"Teenage Wasteland,† the reader is given insight into the difficulty of parenting through Daisy’s desperate attempt to stop her son from his seemingly uncontrollable downward spiral. The paranoia of her â€Å"perfect† parenting techniques leads to the tainting of Donny’s innocence over time and eventually his mysterious disappearance at the end of the story. Through symbols of innocence and corruption, Tyler demonstrates the importance of keeping one’s head clear and focused while parenting, and that using common sense and logic is far more effective than relying on idealism and hope. In the first three lines of the story, the reader is given a sense of Donny’s virtue during youth and how it†¦show more content†¦The description of the face as endearing and fine-featured implies that Daisy believes her son still has his innocence or perfection. The fact that the dark hair hang s around his face suggests (in Daisy’s eyes) that Donny’s out of control behavior only masks his true purity and innocence. In return, Daisy feels that her son still has the ability to be â€Å"saved.† The change in Donny’s innocence, and his mother’s idea that the â€Å"perfect child† exists, is directly correlated to Daisy’s view on parenting throughout the story. It is Daisys view on parenting that causes her to turn to Cal as a tutor for Donny in the hopes that he has all the answers. At Cals house, Donny and the other teenagers are drawn to the the basketball court. Basketballs are a reoccurring symbol throughout the story. The narrator states, â€Å"Spring came, and the students who hung around at Cals drifted out to the basketball net above the garage† (Tyler 192). Spring often represents new life and youth. The narrator continues, â€Å"Theyd find him there with the othersï€ ­spiky and excited, jittering on his toes beneath the backboard† (Tyler 192). Donny is â€Å"jittering† and â€Å"excited† while playing basketball during the spring. Hence, the basketball symbolizes happiness during Donnys youth. A basketball is mentioned again at the end of the story: â€Å"Its something fleet and round, a ballï€ ­a basketball. It flies up, it sinks through the hoop, descends, lands in a yardShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Anne Tylers Teenage Wasteland1329 Words   |  6 Pagesstory â€Å"Teenage Wasteland† by Anne Tyler, Daisy Coble was a former teacher who married and dedicated her life to her husband and children. Her relationship with her son Donny has been slowly deteriorating as he entered into young adulthood. â€Å"We don’t let him watch TV on school nights. We don’t let him talk on the phone till he’s finished his homework. But he tells us he doesn’t have any homework or he did it in study hall. How are we to know what to believe?† ( Anne Tyler. â€Å"Teenage Wasteland†) DonnyRead MoreHigh School Confidential1044 Words   |  5 Pagesin order to play soccer. In retrospect, Denby s views hold up in analysis. Occasionally there is a movie or a character that steps outside Denby s stereotype, however most teen movies are similar. However just because Mean Girls and in some cases She s the Man follow teenage norms doesn t mean they are not effective in conveying their messages. Roger Ebert calls Mean Girls smart and funny in a wasteland of dumb teenage movies. (Ebert 1) And Nathan Lee of the New York Times says that SheRead MoreThe Forest, The Trees, And The One Thing By Allan G. Johnson1613 Words   |  7 Pagesindividual and the society and realize how connected they are. It is common for people to have difficulty coming to terms with their own personal lives. 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The story follows a single mother, DaisyRead MoreThe Regulation Of Lgbt Orientation2084 Words   |  9 Pagesconclusion of her thoughts on Laramie Wyoming, the sight of Matthew Sheppard’s murder, she states that, â€Å"Laramie is not special. It’s not monstrous, we just wish that it was. We want monsters concentrated and secluded in the middle of a Wyoming wasteland because otherwise we have to face the fact that there are monsters in our communities as well. 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