The short story “Greasy Lake,” written by T.C. Boyle, is set during a time when “it was good to be bad,” and American teenagers were engulfed in the “greaser” culture of cars, rock and roll, and partying. The main characters in this short story go to an old, polluted lake in their small hometown looking for a good time, but find themselves in big trouble. Boyle uses items such as the conflict, the multiple stages of plot, and the use of foreshadowing, to develop the plot throughout the short story. The conflict in the story is between the protagonist and the “bad greasy character,” or the antagonist. In this case, the antagonist is the villain, acting against the protagonist, but not presenting a different viewpoint or course of action. The …show more content…
In the exposition, the writer presents to us the protagonist, his two friends and also the setting of the story. He explains how the boys have been searching “for something we[they] never found.” He also tells the tale of how the lake became know as “Greasy Lake,” and how people go there to have fun. As the plot progresses, the climax becomes evident. While the protagonist is hiding from the antagonist in the woods, the protagonist begins to question his choices, realizing he “was[is] nineteen, a mere child, an infant.” Finally, the resolution or denouncement ties all of the loose ends together in the story. The protagonist realizes the missing man matches the dead man floating in the lake, and the old bike in the parking lot belongs to him. The use of foreshadowing by the author is another key element in furthering the plot of the short story. In the introduction of the story, the protagonist tells the reader how there was a time “when it was good to bed” and “we[they] were all dangerous characters then.” The protagonist’s perspective changes throughout the story, informing the reader that he does not believe in his past actions and decisions that were made at the lake. This can be seen when the protagonist is hiding in the woods, realizing he is too young to continue with his current