“Greasy Lake is a short story written by T.C Boyle. The
short story mostly focuses on three nineteen-year-old boys. The three of the
boys went one night on a summer vacation in an area close to a shiny and muddy
lake. The teenagers were looking for trouble on a summer evening and end of finding
it. In the story at the author tells the reader, that it was a time when it was
“good to be bad.” But the story shows that the three boys are truly
lost. The story shows the reader the changing of time in culture that these
teenagers want to be a part of. Even though, they lack to leave the comforts of
their upper middle class lifestyle.

The three teenagers wanted to go out one night to go look
for trouble.  Digby, Jeff and the narrator all head out for the
evening in the narrator’s mother’s Bel Air. The end up going to a hangout spot
called Greasy Lake. They saw a car and they think it is one of their friend’s
car and decide to mess around with him. They made a big mistake, because it ends
up being a man that was out with his girl. The guy was mad at what happened and
it leads to a fight. The narrator ends up hitting the man with a tire iron,
knocking him out. The three did not know whether he is hurt or dead. When the
girl decides to get out of to car to see what is happening. They end up
assaulting her.

Before anything else could happen, they see another car coming
so they decide to hide. The narrator as he was hiding he hears the guy they
beat up get up and the guy messes up their car.

            While
reading ‘Greasy Lake”, I was once tired of what I was reading. It was a very
interesting story. The boys behavior is common of young-adult men and it leads
them to trouble. All three boys Think they that they are big and bad. None of
them were bad it was just all an act Their intention is drink, smoke, listen to
rock and roll, find some naked girls and not “give a shit about anything”.
(pg.2) Their attitude changes fast during their first encounter with the man at
the lake, they all got scared. However, when the three friends end up beating
him up and knocking him out, I think that pumps up their confidence. When the
guys girl gets out of the car they attempt to rape her, that shows how weak
they actually are.

Many times, in society young people think they have it all under
control, they have it figured out even though they don’t. During these teen
phases, they try to experience many things. 
such as drugs, drinking, and sexual exploration
and become involved in various mischievous activities. It is about the coming
of adulthood. It is no longer trying to be like them, but copying one. The three
friends are not as “bad” as they pretend to be. Boyle gives them an opportunity
to rape, but got interrupted because they wouldn’t have done it anyways they
were to scared.

The author symbolizes the water as transition
and spirituality, the lake is symbolized as the elusive badness the boys want
so badly. The narrator notices that none of them are as bad as they try to act.
After that night the narrator realizes he cannot make it in that life, rather
the narrator wants to go to the safety and security of his home and parents.  

Throughout the story many bad decisions were
being made because they couldn’t handle themselves whether they were drunk or
sober and it caused a lot of trouble and problems for these young men. We
sometimes forget to make the right decision and sometimes is hard to make the
right decision when you are hanging out with the wrong people and wrong set of minds
of wanting to be “bad” or “revel” because other people are
doing so.

 “Greasy
Lake is a short story written by T.C Boyle. I really like this story and got a
lot out of it. It is a relatable story to many teens now days just trying fit
in. Many teens try do things just so they can fit in and that isn’t right. If
you are not comfortable with something you should not do it. Hanging around the
wrong people could always end up bad.