What Is The Setting Of Greasy Lake

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T.-Coraghessan Boyle’s "Greasy Lake" has a setting that dates back to the 1960s. The 1960s were a time of disruptiveness in virtually every part of American culture. Analyzing the setting of this story gives us a better understanding of the characters and problems that occur. This story is about three teenage boys who just started summer vacation. These teenagers saw summer as a time to get away from their problems. They want to be rebellious but don’t want the consequences that go along with it. The farther along the story goes, the more the setting impacts the characters. The setting of "Greasy Lake" shows us the time period, place where the story takes place, and mood. Furthermore, the time period of this story helps us understand the historical …show more content…

These details help us imagine where the story takes place. The setting of this story mostly takes place "[t]hrough the center of town, up the strip, past the housing developments and shopping malls, street lights giving way to the thin streaming illumination of the headlights, crowding the asphalt in a black broken wall: this was the way out to Greasy Lake" (164). The author describes the lake as "fetid and murky, the mud banks glittering with broken glass and strewn with beer cans and the charred remains of bonfires” (164). This lake area is known for its makeout spots and packed parties. The teenagers planned on getting wasted and wanted to have the time of their lives. "There was nothing to do but take a lemon-flavored gin up to Greasy Lake" (165), says one of the teenagers. Boyle does a fantastic job describing the location of this jam-packed …show more content…

The author explains how the young boys were nineteen, bad, and rebellious. "We read Andre Gide and struck elaborate poses to show that we didn’t give a [crap] about anything" (164). This quote really helps us picture the I don’t care type of attitudes in these characters. These boys just wanted to go out and have some fun, but things went worse when they saw a classmate's car. "[They] hit the horn, strobed the lights, and then jumped out of the car to press our witty faces to Tony’s windows" (165). The mood changed drastically after Tony, the owner of the vehicle, stepped out of the car, and gave these teenage boys a piece of his mind. The three teenagers panic and flee to the nearest hideouts. One of the teenagers goes down into the lake to find a quick hiding spot. Soon he realizes a dead body is floating right next to him. This scene shows us how the setting can really have an impact on the mood of the