This Boy's Life Essay2 Draft

Isobelle Mannix

This Boy’s Life, Life, a compelling memoir written by Tobias Wolff, explores the lifestyle of troubled  juveniles during the 1950s in America. Through his own youth, Wolff exposes moments when his isolation greatly affects his life choices and outcomes as depicted by his interactions with others. These decisions not only parallel his changing social values and correlate with his bouts of insecurity but determine the experiences of his school days. The desire for traditional conventional values to be apparent apparent in Toby’s life transforms transforms into a state of loneliness when at times it is realised that it cannot be achieved. Rosemary contributes to these broken wishes by enforcing a belief that running away in order to solve personal problems or to fulfil dreams, such as in Toby’s case the wish for a nuclear family, is a mature and correct reaction to an unsatisfied life. Additionally, the principles of fighting and anger are considerably enforced by Dwight through through his training of Toby for the “smokers”, “smokers” , which moulds Toby to believe these are appropriate courses courses of action, accepted by society. This also gives Toby the notion that these values, if enacted upon, will lead to acceptance from Dwight and a release from “habitual solitude”  solitude”   his family in Concrete Concrete provides.

In contrast, Scouts Scouts provides Toby Toby with the importance importance of order, order,

achievement and enforced inclusion in a positive environment that allows Toby to extend his attributes and pride himself on his progress, progress, which leads to Geoffrey’s delighted approval of him. him . Wolff emphasises that we transform our moral code to fit into a preferred situation and likewise to bring forth a feeling of belonging. By adopting others’ standards, others’ standards, Toby makes this crucial decision and obliviously gives in to the temptations of acceptance his insecurities are too weak to resist. Stints of insecurity are made apparent to the reader that they can be a major case of why Toby feels isolated and self-doubting. self-doubting. Exposed through Toby’s inner reflections, the “wall that separated” himself from the outside world revolves around multiple false identities being created, one on top of the other, shielding a personality he is compelled to be ashamed of. This is made evident in Toby’s relationship with his alter-ego, Jack, who at times brings Toby into moments of reprehensible reflection and “penance.” In certain segments of confession, Wolff establishes Toby’s anxieties through his youthful imagination imagination of his biological father and the “romantic reasons” for his father’s “desertion.” Wolff suggests their relationship to be more positive apart, for they are not capable of seeing the other’s imperfections, of which the reader identifies it to be something Toby is guilty of. However, when Toby is placed in the outside world with no familial or personal battles occurring, he overcomes his desolate condition by deciding to adjust to whatever the social norms may be in his particular town of residence. This is made evident by his vandalism in order to achieve status in Seattle and in Chinook as well as his particular hairstyles deemed to be popular among his peers that he adopts. By embracing norms, Wolff evokes the idea that we adapt to enhance our survival in the world, as in Toby’s case it is to overcome self -doubt, -doubt, loneliness and loss, but also to gain a sense of direction in life. The various places where Toby attends school create opportunities to gain social status at the sacrifice of favourable friendships friendships and achievement in school. Arthur is a prime example of this, who to Toby is a true friend that shares his wish to be free of their dead-end lives in Chinook but in their current situation, Toby feels uncomfortable to be seen with someone considered to be a “sissy” by their peers. By throwing away Arthur for Chuck, Wolff affirms Toby connects with others on their need to escape but sees more importance in prestige through rebellion than through good grades. Wolff characterises Toby to be capable and intelligent but tragically and obsessively focused on becoming an identity with accompanying accompanying “adoration,” “adoration,” of which his relationship with Chuck and with

Isobelle Mannix

the Taylors in Seattle he believes provides. Toby chooses to associate with these young rebels, though still feels uncomfortable around them, demonstrating a resistance to his friends’ mores affecting his views but deciding to fabricate his outer-identity to suit instead as illustrated by his attitudes to the Taylors’ behaviour and desiring to “escape” this but dealing with the behaviour anyway so to not be absent of friends in Seattle. Wolff conveys a contradiction that we may reject typical social standards and express these values will never affect us, but in order not to suffer exclusion and abandonment, as Toby has done, we manipulate our external image now and again at the cost of a desirable reputation. Complete with the atmosphere of desolate circumstances and instances of poor judgments, Wolff makes apparent through contradictory social values, insecure reflections and misinterpreted effort in schooling that Toby endures; it is possible to become lonesome at the costs and actions of others.