Characterization Of Insecurities In Smokers By Tobias Wolff

“ I GREW spiritually fat living off the souls of men./ If I saw a soul that was strong/I wounded its pride and devoured its strength.” (Robert Davidson, 1-3) Some people who have insecurities often put others down to make them feel better. Others who truly do not like their insecurities will change themselves emotionally and physically. Many throughout their lifetime learn to accept and view their insecurities as a positive.This kind of maturity happens to each individual at a different time. In the short story “Smokers”,Tobias Wolff uses characterization to show a person who is insecure, often gives into peer pressure, causing internal conflict.
A person who is insecure often struggles internally. The narrator attends an all boys prep

Talbot and the narrator begin to hang out more and more as the weeks go on at Choate. “ As the main character follows Talbot, “Both of [them] had gone out for basketball, and as neither of [them] was very good to the team-Talbot because of an ankle injury [him] because [he] couldn’t have the ball go around the basket…” (1110). Coincidently both Talbot and the narrator have an excuse on playing basketball. Since the main character feels the need to be friends with Talbot he mimics Talbot, he craves the feeling of wealth. After Talbot comes to the narrator’s dorm, he explains his incapability to write an essay for his literature class. Once Talbot asks, “ [He] wrote three more essays for Talbot in the following weeks: ‘Who Is Worse-Macbeth or Lady Macbeth?’ ; ‘Is There a God?’; and ‘Describe a Fountain Pen to a Person Who Has Never Seen One.’ “ (1112) The narrator allows Talbot to push him around, he has become a pushover. He desperately wants to become friends and be apart of Talbot’s world, willing to do absolutely anything. The narrator waits for Talbot to come back from making a phone call. Once Talbot comes back, he offers the narrator, “ ‘Here,’ [Talbot] said, passing it to [him]. ‘Just a drag.’ [He] puffed at it and handed it back.”(1113) The narrator takes his first puff of smoke with Talbot. Before this encounter the narrator had never smoked. Since he was around Talbot it is not surprising that he would

As the narrator speaks to Talbot about rooming for next year, hoping to room with Talbot. He learns Talbot wants to continue rooming with Eugene. The narrators responds with, “ ‘By the way, there's something [he] meant to tell you… [he] not going to be able to help [Talbot] with those essays anymore.’” (1113) The narrator responds negatively because he feels betrayed by Talbot. The narrator was hoping to room with Talbot at Choate the following year. He believed they had close relationship. The narrator chooses to distance himself from Talbot because he internally is furious. After the narrator heard about Eugene being expelled for smoking cigarettes in the dorm he wanted to help. At the time he believed it was most likely Talbot smoking cigarettes instead of Eugene. The narrator is conflicted and attempts, “ The next day [he] walked by the dean’s office and almost went in and told him everything.” (1113) The narrator hesitates to tell the dean who smoked the cigarette but, he wanted to protect his “friend” ,Talbot, from getting into trouble. He doesn’t want to ruin his “friendship” with Talbot but he knows morally telling the truth is the best. As he debates on whether or not to tell the truth, he comes up with excuses to justify his actions. He justifies, “ For all [he] know, Eugene had been smoking when Big John came into the room.”(1113) He forces himself to blame Eugene. He again wants