Mistrust In Teenage Wasteland

Overprotection is not a sign of mistrust, rather a sign of love. Parents who protect their children love their children. Donny Coble is a teenage boy who feels that his parents have him on a tight rope, and he just wants to break free. Bad influence after bad influence, plus the loosening of the rope, leads to life changing decisions by Donny and his parents. Teenage Wasteland, by Anne Tyler, shows that overprotection is love, not a showing of mistrust.

Early on, the Cobles were in control of Donny and made sure he was in check. However, feeling Donny’s love for them and demeanor towards school slipping, they let Donny start going to Cal’s for tutoring. This decision was the worst thing that could have happened to Donny. As Donny’s teacher said in a phone call to his mother, Mrs. Coble, “Back when you were helping Donny with his homework, his grades rose from a D to a C, but now they’ve slipped back, and they’re closer to an F.” As the teacher duly notes, Donny is in trouble. His parents let him loose and as result his grades are taking a nose dive for the worst. Donny thought that something simple as help was a sign mistrust and hate because he was manipulated by his tutor, Cal.
“Donny’s with me, Mrs. Coble,” he said. Nose dive. If she hadn’t let Cal find his way into Donny’s life, then he might not have had things like this happen to him. Mrs. Coble decided to let somebody else show her love for her rather than doing it herself, and that ultimately cost her. Mrs. Coble immediately goes over to find out her son’s side of the story, when the plot gets thicker. Donny no longer trusted or loved his parents, Cal, or anyone at school. This absence of overprotection from his parents of making sure he went to a good school and made good friends led to Donny running away. We will never know what could have if only the Cobles showed more protection and love to their child, Donny