Thomas Wolfe Lost Boy

The Lost Boy?s

Both short stories create metaphysical ?Lost Boy? to demonstrate longing. In the short story ?Lost Boy? written by Thomas Wolfe the main character who?s described as Grover is in essence the ?lost boy? from Thomas?s past. Grover?s story is written in place of Wolfe?s late brother and Grover?s life is depicted through the eyes of four people the mother, the sister, the younger brother Eugene, and Grover himself. First we see Grover's view of a childhood experienced months before the family moves from North Carolina to St. Louis. Cheated and suspected of stealing by a candy-store owner, the boy goes to get his father, who returns with him to the store and gives the store owner revenge, leaving the boy with a repaired sense of
Duringg the story Dave feels more and more useless, like he?s letting everyone down so his sense of degradation grows. Once Dave decides he?s really going to buy a gun he feels this aura of power like he can do whatever he wants or he is a man because he will have a gun. The beginning of his sense of manhood is only short lived, the next day when he goes out into the field with the gun and accidentally shoots Jenny is when his future takes a turn due to the fact he must pay $50 back to Mr. Hawkins while he only payed $2 for the gun. This accident was the beginning of his wanting to basically leave forever. Once the fields were darkened Dave hears the roaring of the train coming closer, Dave makes a brave decision and jumps on the train. He feels that if he leaves this place he will soon become a man, a man he?s always wanted to be. Dave is a boy that does not know where he belongs in the world. Just like Grover, Dave gets tormented by an older gentleman(Mr. Hawkins) while Grover gets tormented by the chocolate shop owner. The two short stories are very similar because they are both two boys that are metaphorically lost; both have no future to look forward to and are only living through their
the short stories are not the same. The Lost Boy is much different from The Man Who Was Almost a Man because in the this short story there is a boy who dies while in the other story there is a boy who is trying to find himself. The lost boy (Grover) is talked about, written as himself also only through memory. Grover is a little boy that never got over the age of 12 years old. He is still alive only through the memories of his family members that are still grieving over 30 years later. Grover when he was alive was a mature adolescent that achieved many things, he achieved friendships and a bond with others as well as good graces with is mother unlike Dave in his story. Like I said before he is only alive now because of the memories his family still have of him. One memory from the mother that was positive was when she kept saying over and over at different points talking to the reporter that Grover was her ?favorite child? she goes on to say ?I suppose you have the judgment of grown men.... But Grover! Grover had it even then! Oh, even as a child, you know-at a time when I was almost afraid to trust the rest of you out of my sight-- I could depend on Grover. He could go anywhere, I could send him anywhere, and I'd always know he'd get back safe, and do exactly what I told him to!? The sisters memory is pretty vivid of Grover she says ?Can you remember, Eugene, how Grover used to look? I mean the birthmark, the black eyes,