Anne Tyler Teenage Wasteland

Raising children is a task no one is ever prepared for. It requires time, patience, love, and a lifetime of commitment. No matter what children you are raising a child in, it a difficult job that no one is perfect in. Discipline and dedication are crucial in the upbringing of children no matter if they are babies, teenagers, or adults. In “Teenage Wasteland,” Anne Tyler uses imagery, tone, and uses her characters to illustrate that every parent has their flaws.
Every child should have two involved parents in their lives who communicate and work together to see that child excel. Donny’s principal calls his parents to speak to them about Donny’s behavior but only his mother, Daisy, shows up. Donny, a misunderstood teenager, is said to be “noisy,
As Donny grows comfortable with Cal, he confesses he skips classes and doesn’t commit to his homework assignments. Donny states he feels like his school is like a prison where he is confined indoors. The relationship between Cal and Donny grows closer but makes Daisy wonder if hiring a tutor was the right choice once she receives a bill from him. One again Daisy receives a call from the principal stating Donny has improved but “ Of course it hasn’t shown up in his grades yet, but several of the teachers noticed how his attitude’s changed” (45). Donny soon realizes that although he is improving, his parents still do not trust him.
In conclusion, although Donny’s parents tried their best to see him do better in school, Donny gets expelled and runs away. Tyler’s great sense of imagery lets you picture a long time goes by and Daisy and Matt have aged still hoping their troubled son would come home. Daisy wonders where she went wrong and questioned who was to blame. For all the times Donny’s parents misunderstood him and didn’t provide the attention he needed, it led Donny to never come back. Despite his parents attempts, it just goes to show no matter how you try, parenting doesn’t have a handbook and is often