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Student 1

Sample Student

Professor Angelina Misaghi

English 2

March 6, 2019

Real Danger

Danger. The sheer uttering of the word itself offers itself to a myriad of images and

possibilities. It is often human nature to have a craving for danger in the sense that it often opens

itself to the idea of excitement and adventure which allows one to be perceived as cool and

alluring. Yet, such an idea becomes harshly limited when one considers that danger can only

span so far before one finds himself face-to-face with the idea of death. Such a reality is evident

in T. Coraghessan Boyle’s short story “Greasy Lake” which accounts the lives of a teenager and

his two friends, Digby and Jeff, in their search for danger. As the teenagers set out for danger

one night, it becomes clear they are in over their heads as the harsh realities of nature engulf

them to the extent in which they want nothing more than to return to their safe and civil lives. In

his short story “Greasy Lake,” Boyle expands on the alluring nature entailed in creating false

realities. Through the use of character and metaphor, Boyle demonstrates that teenage

perceptions of “bad” behavior are born of ignorance rather than the frightening reality of what a

life of danger actually means.

As Boyle begins to introduce the group of boys, they begin to demonstrate their urges to

strive for danger and teenage rebellion. This can be seen from the very beginning as the young

group of rebellious teenage boys illustrate the era in which they lived, when it was alluring to be

rambunctious and dangerous. When remembering the time when the narrator was a rebellious

teenager, he recalls, “There was a time when courtesy and winning ways went out of style, when

Student 2

it was good to be bad, when you cultivated decadence like a taste” (306). This demonstrates the

rebellious nature of the teenage boys as they realize that “it was good to be bad” which elicits a

sense of yearning for danger. Yet, the way in which the boys strive for a life of danger stretches

far past that of typical teenage rebellion to the extent in which they “cultivate” a “taste” for this

alluring sense of risk. As the group of boys continue to make mention of their careless attitude, it

becomes clear that they may merely be entertaining the idea of a life full of rebellion without

being prepared for the dangers it entails. As the narrator recalls his rebellious phase he states,

“We were bad. We read Andre Gide and struck elaborate poses to show that we didn’t give a shit

about anything” (306). While the narrator recalls his group and how they “were bad”, the

“poses” they strike were similar to that of an actor posing for a role. The mere uttering of the

word may bring to mind the thought of one assuming a role that they do not truly fit. As a result,

this demonstrates that although the narrator and his friends may believe they are “bad” they are

not yet certain as to whether or not they can fulfill the role of being bad along with the actual

dangers that might arise.

While the boys may be ready to assume the life of danger head on, it isn’t until they enter

a serious confrontation with a man who is mistaken for a friend that they encounter the true

nature of danger. Towards the end of a summer night the group of boys set out on a trip to the

local hang out spot known as Greasy Lake in search for trouble. As they arrive, the boys

mistakenly assume a vehicle with a couple to be one of their friends which leads them to harass

the couple. Unbeknownst to the group, however, the man in the car does not take kindly to the

situation and turns to violence which leads to the narrator to strike the man with a tire iron in a

last-minute effort to escape possible death. Upon realizing the immensity of his actions, the

narrator realizes “[He] was terrified. Blood was beating in [his] ears, [his] hands were shaking,

Student 3

[his] heart turning over like a dirtbike in the wrong gear” (307). No longer is the narrator posing

as the role of one living the “bad” life; he has actually done something truly bad, which allows

him to realize the true nature of danger. It also becomes clear that this is foreign to the narrator as

the act of violence he committed evokes a sense of feeling out of place. This sense of detachment

from reality only becomes stronger as the narrator and his friends continue their onslaught of

terror. After striking the man unconscious, the narrator along with Digby and Jeff turn to his

lover and exhibit an act of primal rage as they sexually assault the woman. Upon discerning the

effects of their actions, the narrator begins to have a moment which leads him to realize, “There

we were, dirty, bloody, guilty, dissociated from humanity and civilization, the first of the Ur-

crimes” (308). No longer do the boys exhibit the same yearning for danger as a result of

witnessing the repercussions of their actions. Whereas the idea of danger and being “bad” once

seemed alluring, the true nature of it is now being “dissociated from humanity and civilization.”

This detachment from civilization is what shows the true nature of a life of danger which only

further leads the boys to seek liberation from the horrid life of danger they have created.

The boys further exhibit their disenchantment with danger as the narrator himself sinks

into the murky water, yearning to get away from the entire situation. Subsequent to the violent

confrontation, a second car arrives to the scene which prompts the boys to make a quick escape

from their seemingly inescapable demise. While Digby and Jeff split up and run, the narrator

turns to the lake in an effort to escape. As the narrator begins to submerge himself into the murky

abyss that is Greasy Lake, he notices, “The water was up to my knees when I realized what I was

doing” (308). It is not until the narrator immerses himself in the dark abyss of Greasy Lake that

he “[realizes] what [he] was doing.” As a result, Greasy Lake itself serves as a metaphor for the

true nature entailed within the life of one who is “bad.”

Student 4

It is not until the narrator stumbles upon the decaying carcass of a dead man that he seeks

freedom from the life of danger. As the narrator comes face to face with the true representation

of what danger entails, he becomes aware of the situation when, “[he] blundered into something.

Something Unspeakable [...] [he] stumbled back in horror and revulsion, [his] mind yanked in six

different directions ([he] was nineteen, a mere child, an infant[...])” (308). The climax is reached

upon the narrator coming face to face with a dead man, representing the eminent doom of one

involved in a life of danger. As a result, the narrator becomes overwhelmed with “horror and

revulsion” with his mind turning everywhere in an effort to seek liberation from this life. The

narrator begins to have an epiphany that leads him to realize the immensity of the situation in

which he reflects upon himself and views himself as “a mere infant” with a life ahead of him.

Because of this, the narrator ultimately reveals the alluring facade of danger to show the truth --

that danger leads to a path ending in death.

In conclusion, the depiction of teenage rebellion illustrated by Boyle demonstrates that

everything will not always be as it seems. While this group of teenagers was striving for danger,

they found far more than they expected when wanting to be seen as dangerous and adventurous.

From personal encounters with death to blood and gore, the harsh findings of these boys

displayed the truth evident in being seen as dangerous. As a result, their experience highlighted

the concept that false perceptions eventually shed light on the true realities. In this case, the

preconceived idea that it was “good to be bad” led the boys to realize the truth that danger is

truly horrible.

Student 5

Works Cited

Coraghessan, Boyle. “Greasy Lake.” LIT. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell.

Boston:Wadsworth, 2012. 306-313. Print