T.C. Boyle’s brilliant short story “Greasy Lake”, Boyle shows how the boys have evolved from being naive greasers into mature teens. The boys enjoy their image of bad boys as they drive to a greasy lake to sip gin or smoke reefer. However, as the story progresses, the boys discover themselves in the lake and hide from the sinister people they see.
The boys start driving to the lake with the intention of smoking, drinking, and acting like bad men. They are all college-aged students who believe they’re bad boys for being so immature. 3). Digby, the younger boy, agrees to let his father pay Cornell tuition (Paragraph 3) The other, Jeff, thought of quitting school so that he could pursue a career as a “painter/musician/head-shop proprietor” (Para. 3). This means that he is looking for a job that pays little but does good work. Jeff’s desire for a career reflects both the immaturity of his personality and his dreamy attitude. The desired career path of Jeff is symbolic of his life: reckless, immature and careless. They have not yet been baptized. They have no motivation to change their old ways. 6). They shine their lights at him and the girl, who are both truly bad. The boys engage in a fight with the bad guy. They nearly raped him with a tire iron. The boys are now real scoundrels, instead of pretending to be greasers. They become criminals instead of pretending they are criminals. This is another step in the transformation of these characters from fake greasers into mature, educated teenagers.
The car that drove up on the group is where the boys were assaulting and nearly raping the woman. This is the last stop in their journey. The cops want them. They make the boys run. They were anxious because they didn’t know how to get to safety when they set out to explore the murky lakes. However, before they reach the lake, they encounter a dead cyclist. They didn’t realise it, but the people who stopped them were looking to find the dead man. The boys, half-dead and scared, wait until dawn to get into the water. Once they are out, they will be baptized. After the boys have left the lake, they are confronted with a group girls who “hold a few tablets in glassine wrappers” to ask them to “do some of these [with Sarah] (para. 44). 44). The boys say “No thanks” and “Some Other Time” (para. 44). The boys had undoubtedly taken drugs before their trip to the lake. But, after being baptized and changing (the narrator says that he wants to “go home to his parents’ house and crawl into a bed” like a child, suggesting that the boys are dissatisfied with their past actions. It is clear that just one night (and only one setting) can dramatically change one’s outlook and life.
The story would not have the same effect without the lake. In a matter hours, the boys transform into enlightened, mature teenagers. The greasy lake was essential because the boys could not have maintained their immature, carefree lifestyle without suffering serious consequences. They would likely have killed someone or themselves. But, ultimately, they were transformed by their terrible experiences and the dastardly Greasy lake baptism. They were born again.
