Summary: This Boys Life By Tobias Wolff
How does the narrative voice of TBL explore truth?
Tobias Wolff’s highly accredited novel, ‘ This Boys Life’ explores truth and lies through the use of various scenarios and characters in a cliché “American dream” teenage world.
The narrative voice and main character of the novel, Tobias Wolff, uses his subjective truth – better known as what he believes is the truth, to justify his actions. Tobias is never quite satisfied with what has been bestowed on him, whether it be his name (to which he changed for Tobias to Jack) or whether it be his ambitions, goals and even his persona. This character seems to be constantly despondent to anything that he has no control over, therefor having to evolve into a new version of him. His subjective truth becomes his reality, to which he asks everyone to affirm as the real him.
Tobias (Jack) finds a strong sense of satisfaction in his ability to change himself, whenever he happens to spawn a brand new …show more content…
A singular lie, whether considerable or meager, has an effect, which can affect those surrounding. Tobias Wolff’s “reality” affects those he chooses to tell, such as his mother, Rosemary, who has strong feeling of affection towards her son, that she can’t assimilate him lying or doing anything of bad connotation towards her. Having a firm belief that her son would only show honesty and compassion towards her, Rosemary will only hear what she wants to hear in regards to Tobias, the negative matter she will disregard as her son is “perfect”. This occurs as Tobias is shown getting caught scratching the ‘obscene words “FUCK YOU” into the semi-dried paint in the bathrooms, where he would smoke with his friends. When his mother is called, she, without a second thought, states, “If he says he didn’t do it, he didn’t do it.” Being caught in Tobias’ web of lies and betrayal, she is then absorbed into his idiosyncratic reality, which becomes her perception of the
Tobias Wolff’s highly accredited novel, ‘ This Boys Life’ explores truth and lies through the use of various scenarios and characters in a cliché “American dream” teenage world.
The narrative voice and main character of the novel, Tobias Wolff, uses his subjective truth – better known as what he believes is the truth, to justify his actions. Tobias is never quite satisfied with what has been bestowed on him, whether it be his name (to which he changed for Tobias to Jack) or whether it be his ambitions, goals and even his persona. This character seems to be constantly despondent to anything that he has no control over, therefor having to evolve into a new version of him. His subjective truth becomes his reality, to which he asks everyone to affirm as the real him.
Tobias (Jack) finds a strong sense of satisfaction in his ability to change himself, whenever he happens to spawn a brand new …show more content…
A singular lie, whether considerable or meager, has an effect, which can affect those surrounding. Tobias Wolff’s “reality” affects those he chooses to tell, such as his mother, Rosemary, who has strong feeling of affection towards her son, that she can’t assimilate him lying or doing anything of bad connotation towards her. Having a firm belief that her son would only show honesty and compassion towards her, Rosemary will only hear what she wants to hear in regards to Tobias, the negative matter she will disregard as her son is “perfect”. This occurs as Tobias is shown getting caught scratching the ‘obscene words “FUCK YOU” into the semi-dried paint in the bathrooms, where he would smoke with his friends. When his mother is called, she, without a second thought, states, “If he says he didn’t do it, he didn’t do it.” Being caught in Tobias’ web of lies and betrayal, she is then absorbed into his idiosyncratic reality, which becomes her perception of the