Teenage Wasteland

Don Sampo
James Hepworth
English 150
March 24, 2009
A response
Teenage Wasteland
By Anne Tyler

The narrator seems to be a non participant seeing into the major character, Donny. I would characterize the method employed as a limited omniscient. In the opening the author is describing the major character’s physical features.
Imagine, Daisy thought, “how they must look to Mr. Lanham: an overweight housewife in a cotton dress and a too tall, too thin insurance agent in a baggy, frayed suit.” It was arranged that Donny would visit a psychologist for testing. Mr. Lanham knew just the person.
Instead of helping her child, Daisy is more concerned with what others think than her own sibling. No wonder Donny has emotional problems. It was Cal this, Cal that, Cal says this, Cal and I did that! Daisy blames Cal, but she knows that he played only a smaller part in Donny’s leaving. Daisy thinks there could have been more time to spend with Donny, if Amanda wasn’t born that soon.
I think it is a little of sympathetic and satire. The parents do care about Donny, but this seems to be typical of a teenager that feels like they don’t belong at home. Unfortunately, in real life, this happens too much to young kids!