Respect Boundaries In David Mclean's 'Marine Corps Issue'

n David McLeans short story Marine Corps Issue, Jonathan (the protagonist), demonstrates the theme respect boundaries when he invades his fathers privacy after he returns from the war. First, Jonathan sees his father go through some boxes that contained military remembrance that made him drink, leading Jonathan to want to go through the boxes (340-341). Second, Jonathan steals the military box keys from his father and opens them revealing military remembrance ( 348-350 352-353). Third, John's dad sees him searching through his stuff, leaving him hurt by his son's actions but also causing a greater father and son bond ( 354-355). Throughout the story, Jonathan is curious and trying to figure out what happened to his dad in the war. This curiosity

The lesson is clear that no matter what people should respect others boundaries even if they're curious. It's very clear as to why this life lesson would be in a coming-of-age story; Young people (like Jonathan) need to learn to respect boundaries and see the possible consequences of failing to do so. And it's the lesson that David McLean attempts to portray in his novel Marine Corps Issue. In the beginning of the story, Jonathan learns the life lesson when he sees his father go through some military boxes containing some sort of remembrance. The boxes made his father drink, causing Johnathen to become curious ,trying to figure out what was in the boxes. To try to figure out what was in the boxes he had asked his mother where his dad was stationed but she said that she forgot. After, John was going to ask his father but his mother pleaded, “‘Oh Johnny, please don’t’... ‘don't bring it up with him. It took him so long to forget all of that. Don't ask him to start remembering again’” (McLean 345-346). In other words, Jonathan’s mother is trying to push Jonathan away from learning or asking his father about the war. Jonathan asking his father what happened in the war could bring back such horrible memories that would possibly change him. In real-life, a lot of veterans have ptsd, anxiety attacks, depression, etc. after talking about the

Why? Because respecting boundaries can make a person feel protected but when they are broken and a person learns why the boundaries were put in place they can have a greater sense of understanding of the boundaries whether it was a touchy subject, etc. The author may want to express that either respecting or not respecting boundaries can have a positive or negative effect and that the effects to these can change a relationship with someone. This theme is the life lesson (the intended purpose) of the story, and the author is indeed successful in its communication. One element that makes this purpose successful is that before Jonathan had ever thought about searching through the boxes him and his father had a healthy relationship but Jonathan didn't know much about his father, but when Jonathan looked into the boxes his father was hurt but it grew the relationship of them both and Jonathan learned more about his father. This connects to the theme of respecting boundaries because respecting boundaries had a positive effect on Jonathan and his dad but not respecting boundaries had a negative effect on him and his