(no subject)
This week, "Greasy Lake" and "The Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" by Boyle and Marquez were on our to-read list. Both dealt with issues of morality, but I personally preferred Boyle's story for it's honesty, style, and lack of ridiculousness.
Boyle seemed to be mostly criticizing the punk youth of the latter half of the 20th century, basically calling out the violent youth culture for being cruel and cowardly at the same time. There did seem to be a great deal of truth in his writing; you can argue that the three main characters clubbed to first guy out of self-defense, but they attempted to rape his girlfriend out of nothing but spite and cruelty.
You see, the three main characters were, for the most part, upstanding young citizens during the day. Sure, they dressed odd, they drank, they smoked, and they might take part in a questionable act once in awhile, but all in all, they're still innocents; they still depend largely on their parents and have a weak grasp on how the real world works. So at the dead of night, when no one is around, they fail to grasp that there are still consequences to their actions. They knock out one guy, and when there is no immediate punishment for that, they try to take it further by taking his girlfriend. But when morality strikes, and they realize that they're in the wrong, they try to run and avoid their punishment. They're cowards.
All in all, "Greasy Lake" is a great read. It's very intense and even manages to throw in a few laughs. It's a very poignant and very true criticism about youth society and it's negative affects.
Boyle seemed to be mostly criticizing the punk youth of the latter half of the 20th century, basically calling out the violent youth culture for being cruel and cowardly at the same time. There did seem to be a great deal of truth in his writing; you can argue that the three main characters clubbed to first guy out of self-defense, but they attempted to rape his girlfriend out of nothing but spite and cruelty.
You see, the three main characters were, for the most part, upstanding young citizens during the day. Sure, they dressed odd, they drank, they smoked, and they might take part in a questionable act once in awhile, but all in all, they're still innocents; they still depend largely on their parents and have a weak grasp on how the real world works. So at the dead of night, when no one is around, they fail to grasp that there are still consequences to their actions. They knock out one guy, and when there is no immediate punishment for that, they try to take it further by taking his girlfriend. But when morality strikes, and they realize that they're in the wrong, they try to run and avoid their punishment. They're cowards.
All in all, "Greasy Lake" is a great read. It's very intense and even manages to throw in a few laughs. It's a very poignant and very true criticism about youth society and it's negative affects.