Coraghessan Boyle's short story "Greasy Lake" were out looking for a good time, but in the end received much more than they bargained for--a near murder, attempted rape, and stumbling across a decaying corpse; just to name a few of their encounters. When taking into consideration all the components which made up the situations, it is easy to understand the peril the boys come across that night.Their lack of responsibility, surroundings, and desires all play a major part in their misadventure. These three young men lacked responsibility and wise decision-making qualities.
Granted, they are only nineteen, but that is part of being young; making bad choices and learning from them along the way. In the story it is the third day of summer vacation, and the boys haven't got a care in the world. The previous two nights they had. ".. been out till dawn, looking for something they never found" .
Usually boys this age have jobs during the summer to save up money for a car, gas, or even their college tuition. They didn't have to worry about anything like that--the narrator drove his mother's Bel Air, Digby's father paid his way to Cornell, and Jeff was thinking about quitting school altogether. From what the reader can gather, they are pretty much spoiled. As for their choices on what to do, they also show their need of maturity. Getting a high from anything they could find was their idea of fun.They .
".. sniffed glue and ether and what somebody claimed was cocaine". Obviously they were not the brightest characters.
The misuse of such substances can be seriously hazardous and harmful to the brain; also can impair judgment and rational thinking. So during the events of that night the boys were not only young and irresponsible, but also under the influence. When considering their surroundings, the events of the night become more comprehensible. Greasy Lake was not a family oriented environment, . "..
t was fetid and murky, the mud banks glittering with broken glass and strewn with beer cans and the charred remains of bonfires". This once beautiful lake, known for its clear water, was now reduced to party central and plagued with rubbish. The events which took place at Greasy Lake where hardly admirable; the boys would go there to . ".. watch a girl take her clothes off and plunge into the festering murk, drink beer, smoke pot, howl at the stars.
.. ". It was a place at which adolescent desires ran ramped.
Not to mention the shady group that would be accompanying them that night. As the boys pulled into Greasy Lake they saw . ".. some junkie halfwit biker and a car freak pumping his girlfriend".
Upon seeing this, it was not made a big deal; leading the reader to believe this sort of thing happened all of the time. If it is 2 AM, you are nineteen-years old, and your place of choice has people referred to as "bad greasy characters"--it is time to find a new hang-out. Furthermore, one must realize the instincts and evil desires we all have, and how controlling they can get.These immature boys are already in a sketchy environment with questionable company, the last thing they need is the instability of their own actions. When cornered a person will find any means necessary to get out; it is just our instinct. The narrator feels defenseless against the bad greasy character, to level the playing field "He went for the tire iron he kept under the driver's seat".
Is this a little excessive? Possibly, but at that time the narrator felt it his only way out.He was infuriated with his adversary and he attacked him . ".. like a kamikaze, mindless, raging, stung with humiliation.
.. . Also in this night the boys are overcome with lustful desires, attempting to rape the bad greasy character's girlfriend.
They refer to her as a fox and say she is already tainted, rationalizing their soon to be actions in their heads. They tear away at her clothes and grab anything they can get their hands on. The narrator says, "We were bad characters, and we were scared and hot and three steps over the line--anything could have happened". Proving, in the heat of the moment it is easy to be caught up by our desires, no matter how appalling, and carried away.Remember, with all bad comes good. That is the beauty of mistakes; we learn from them then go on.
At the end of the night the boys realize they are not as bad as they thought, and they just want to go home. Many times we create the circumstance which sets us up for a major fall. With all things considered the actions of the boys on this night are understandable, but that does not make them acceptable. We need to analyze a situation before we let ourselves so easily fall into it, and take responsibility of any repercussions which may occur.
