Greasy Lake Summary

T. Coraghessan Boyle is a 66 year old American author who describes himself as a “pampered punk” (Boyle). Mr. Boyle used his short story, Greasy Lake to demonstrate not only the shift in the social standard of the era but also the struggles and consequences faced by so many as a result of poor decision making. He described it as an era where “courtesy and winning went out of style” and “where it was good to be bad” (Boyle). The three main characters of this saga, who can only be adequately described as suburban pretenders “who didn’t give a shit about anything”, and want nothing more than to be considered “dangerous” (Boyle). They personify what happens when even good kids are enticed by the wrong influences; but to the extreme end of the spectrum. The actions of these rebellious youth and the consequences that follow, would certainly challenge the moral compass of many. In fact, reading this story can be equated to watching a bad car accident. You’ll find yourself repulsed and

He uses his fiction to explore the ruthlessness and the unpredictability of human nature and the toll it takes on the environment. He also explores how the environment effects his characters as seen in this short story. Essentially using it as a catalyst for the events to unfold. At the same time, it is very easy to tease out the undertones implied in his work. Young people, both then and now are in danger of being forced to live lives they are not yet prepared for either mentally or otherwise. He further uses it to show where deviance and violence and intersect, with devastating consequences. Especially when engaging in risky behaviors. Finally, he used it to demonstrate how are person can be so affected and traumatized by their experiences. It would have been interesting if there had a follow-up to this original piece. To see if the main characters were truly changed by all that had befallen