The journey toward adulthood is marked by a variety of childhood and adolescent experiences. These experiences contribute toward a loss of innocence and a greater understanding of life itself. In T.C. Boyle’s story, “Greasy Lake,” the teenage protagonist finds himself one step closer to maturity after a truly insane and unexpected night at the local hangout; a fetid, murky and polluted lake where “...anything could have happened” and did. At the beginning of …showed first 75 words of 1021 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1021 total…putting the lessons learned into practice. Many experiences may be enjoyable, and many horrific, but in the end something is always learned. If we neglect to head lessons from certain ordeals we will be doomed to repeat the same mistakes. The boys in the story try to live lives they are not physically or mentally ready to handle. The experience at Greasy Lake to brings them back to earth; back to a sense of reality.