Teenage Wasteland Response

Anne Tyler’s short story, "Teenage Wasteland", chronicles the decay of an adolescent boy facing a difficult period of his life. Although Donny’s mother Daisy cares greatly for her child, Daisy is unable to save him from his spiraling descent leading to his complete emotional breakdown. As a child, Donny is a well-natured boy that appears to have no qualms with the world around him. Once Donny beings to mature into a teenager, his mother senses that there may be a dark side to his character. He becomes an obstinate, misunderstood boy showing many difficulties both academically and socially.

Although the author chooses not to elaborate on the years preceding his fifteenth birthday, we first encounter Donny’s problems when Daisy is called to speak with the principle regarding her son’s foul behavior. The school advises Daisy to seek professional support for Donny for both emotional and academic issues. A former fourth grade teacher, Daisy feels obligated to help tutor her son and raise his grades on her own. Donny barely responds to his mother’s guidance and determination to help him succeed. Although Daisy employs all of her effort, her son simply does not want to cooperate with anyone. It seems that Donny has so much contempt for the world around him that there is no way that he can be helped. At a loss, Daisy agrees to hire the private tutor at great expense to her family financially and emotionally. Cal, the new tutor, successfully befriends Donny by agreeing that it is the world, not Donny, which is at fault. Even though Cal is intended to be an academic tutor, Cal takes on a role more suited for a therapist. After weeks of help, Daisy sees little change in Donny’s behavior and his grades continue plummet. Eventually Donny is expelled from school for misconduct and shortly after he disappears. It is clear that Donny is unable to handle the problems in his life. Rather than confront his issues, Donny simply runs away from anything he cannot face.

Donny receives every bit of compassion and support a young boy could hope for. His caring parents attempt to personally guide him through a tough time in his life and Donny is simply unresponsive. He is given a personal guidance counselor to help support him in ways his parents can not. Repeatedly Donny simply does not respond to any help he receives. His own stubborn character leads him to his demise. It is not those around him that ruin his life, but rather Donny’s own actions. Donny’s life failed not because of his parent’s faults or his tutor’s faults. Donny’s life failed simply because he did not try hard enough to overcome his problems. He never takes responsibility for his own actions and always attempts to push the blame on others around him. When Daisy questions him about the beer in his locker he claims that, "It wasn’t my fault. I promise…It was a put-up-job! See, there’s this guy that doesn’t like me." In his opinion, nothing that goes wrong in his life is his fault. It is anyone or anything around him that he pushes the blame too. Donny’s nature simply makes it impossible for him to confront his own problems and fix them. No one but Donny can care enough to fix his own mistakes and his life, not even his parents. If Donny wants to change his life for the better, then it is up to him to do it. No one else can do it for him. The only way that Donny can turn his life around is to recognize his faults and, with his parents, teachers, and tutors support, fix them one by one. Donny simply is not motivated to mend his broken life. In the end, he would rather run away from his issues than confront them. Donny’s character is frankly too weak, not because of those around him, but because of himself. Adolescence is a hard time for both parents and their children, but it is up to the children to take control of their own lives and take responsibility for their mistakes and correct them. Cal, Daisy, and Matt all have their flaws in supporting Donny but they all attempt to help him. No one wants to see Donny fail. No one is working against Donny’s success. Although Cal may be an insincere mentor, Cal has no motivation to ruin Donny’s life. No one is hoping that Donny will fail. Mentors and parents can only give advice and support. It is up to the adolescent, Donny, to make the actual changes necessary to correct the issues in his own life. Parents and mentors can only help Donny understand what he must do to help himself. They cannot forcefully change Donny for the better unless he wants it for himself. In the end, Donny must take the reins himself to truly have an effect on improving his life. Since he is not strong enough to take his life under his own control, Donny takes the easy way out by running away for good. (846)