From Greasy Lake to Sunny Lake, From Youth to Adulthood

It is generally acknowledged that as people grow older, they mature into sophisticated, hard-working, and experienced adults. However, the difference lies in the age at which we transition from childhood to adulthood. Sometimes, the change occurs when we are still children or teenagers, while sometimes it takes others longer to make that transformation. In “Greasy Lake,” we witness the narrator’s maturing as a direct result of two events: the fight with Bobbie—the “bad greasy character”—and the discovery of Al’s dead body. Furthermore, his observations of his natural surroundings, particularly of the lake, at the start and the end of the story confirm his transformation into adulthood.

The first of these two life-changing incidents is the fight with Bobbie, evident in the aftermath of this brawl. Admittedly, the narrator does not fully mature until after the discovery of Al's body, but he definitely achieves a sort of understanding that his actions were wrong. The time that the narrator spends hiding in the lake before he discovers the dead body certainly reveals the beginning of his human development. The narrator does not and cannot fully mature in these moments, because he believes that he can escape without apprehension. In addition, he does not feel ashamed for brutally attacking a man and almost raping a woman. The narrator cannot grow until he recognizes his faults and wrongdoings.

To be honest, it is not obvious to me if the narrator regrets his violence. He does not explicitly express his remorse for his actions, but he reveals his relief when he realizes that Bobbie survived the hard blow to his head. Yet, he remains in his hiding spot. I think I’m hoping that he feels guilty for the trouble he has caused, but there does not appear to be any correlating thought process in the story. I do believe, however, that after the second and more influential event, the discovery of Al’s body, the narrator begins a more rapid and overt character change. When he encounters the corpse, the narrator is absolutely horrified and repulsed. He feels like “a mere child, an infant” (21). Later, the narrator considers possible excuses or even suicide. He then considers Al’s fate, the body before him, and gains perspective. The narrator realizes that he is much better off than the dead man is, since “my car was wrecked; he was dead” (31). Even though the narrator may not regret his most recent actions, it is clear that he finally recognizes that his way of life is destructive and that he could end up like Al.

In case the anguished emotions of the narrator do not establish his change in demeanor, his perspective of the beach around him does certainly. Twice, the narrator gives his viewpoint of what nature is in terms of the beach, using the phrase, “This was nature.” At the beginning of the story, the narrator describes nature as a dank, dirty, and “festering murk” (2). The scene that the narrator paints for us makes Greasy Lake sound unappealing and a sore sight. Even during the series of events, the lake’s depiction is revolting and repulsive. Any lake filled with “muck” and “feculent undergrowth” does not seem like a place in which I would be interested in swimming (19). On the other hand, at the conclusion of the story, the illustrations become more positive, brighter. There is finally “a sheen of sun on the lake,” a lake that seemed filthy moments ago (45). In unison with the narrator’s changed demeanor, nature seems to be refreshing itself after being unclean for so long.

In conclusion, we can see clearly that the narrator alone, if not all three friends, has experienced a life-changing incident. Before, he was greasy and bad and was always causing trouble with Digby and Jeff. Now, he seems inclined to reform his ways and live a better life. Even the final sentences imply a somewhat despondent yet positive future: when the friends drive away from the girl in the end with “her shoulders slumped, hands out-stretched,” they seem to be leaving behind this wayward life for good (45). [685 words]


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What is it about Digby and Jeff that inspires the narrator to call them “bad”? What does he mean?
   
2. Why does the narrator feel compelled or feel the urge to rape the “fox”?
   
3. Do you think that the narrator feels remorse for his actions?
   
4. At the end of the story, when the girl offers to party with the three friends, what causes the narrator to say, “I thought I was going to cry”?
   
5. The narrator appears to be an intelligent and well-educated young man. Why does he choose to do the things he does with Digby and Jeff?