Vicarious Liberations of a "Mentor"

The story, "A Teenage Wasteland," by Anne Tyler presents the reader with a very unusual and illogical, yet interesting situation: Donny, a misbehaving trouble child who gets bad grades is sent to a counselor/mentor who is similar to Donny himself--an irresponsible teen who will not obey rules or restrictions. The role of Donny's counselor Cal is one of subtle duplicity and selfishness. Daisy, Donny's mom, is having trouble controlling Donny, after she finds that he has been underperforming in school. She is given the recommedation to send Donny to a counselor named Cal in order to improve Donny's behavior and school performance. Instead of bringing about a solution, Cal manages to do the opposite, while still seeming to be the key to a solution.

When Daisy first meets Cal, she notices Cal's loud music playing in the house, his faded jeans, his "long and stringy" hair--similar to Donny's--and even his unprofessional office transformed from a dining room. Her gut feelings tell her that something about Cal is not right. Something about Cal and his house makes Daisy feel apprehensive, but she decides to try Cal out, willing to do almost anything to help her son.

At first, Cal seems to have a purely positive influence on Donny. His principal even telephoned Daisy to tell her how Donny had improved his attitude at school; surely his grades would follow suit. After successfully gaining Daisy's trust, Cal convinces Donny's parents to trust Donny more and give him more freedom. Again, while apprehensive at first, Daisy is convinced by Cal's cool, calm, and convincing nature. Unfortunately, Daisy soon receives a call from one of Donny's school teachers, who informes Daisy that Donny's grades have actually dropped significantly. Still, after being confronted, Cal convinces Daisy that everything will be okay, and that better grades will come with time, but as we soon learn, they never do.

Since Daisy is referred to Cal by a professional, and since Donny seems to be making slight progress in the beginning, the reader trusts Cal, but soon Cal begins to encourage distrust in the reader. Then we find out about Cal's ex-wife--a "really controlling lady" who "didn't understand Cal a bit." Cal had previously been married, but felt as though his wife controlled him too much, similar to the way Donny and mamy of the other teens Cal helps feel about their parents. About Cal, Donny even says, "you'd think he was our own age." To the reader, it becomes clear that Cal is just a grown teenager seeking to vicariously live through his tutees by liberating them from their "controlling" and "misunderstanding" parents.

All doubts about Cal's inabilities to help Donny perform well in school are erased when Donny gets expelled from school. And then, when Daisy is talking to Donny with Cal present, we see a mysteriously dark side of Cal. Cal, in response to Donny's request to apply at Brantly, shows actions that are a little disconcerting to the reader. Daisy finally notices Cal's darker side here. "She didn't like Cal's smile, which struck her now as feverish and acid--a smile of hunger."

In the end, Cal doesn't help Donny at all, who runs away from home eventually. Still, Daisy has trouble blaming Cal for anything, and wonders if Cal had helped or hurt the situation after all. (559)