An uncertain future frightens many. However, certain people in life provide reassurance that the future may not look as dark as it seems. While the boys in Powder by Tobias Wolff and The Palmist by Andrew Lam worry about the superficial fears of their futures the adults in their lives aim to reassure them. In the short stories Powder and The Palmist, the teenage boys face fear due to the uncertainty of their future. In Powder, the boy understands that his mother “wouldn’t forgive [his father]” for once again failing to get him home on time (Wolff 49). He worries because he thinks if his father does not get him home on time for Christmas that his parents will split up out of anger for one another. He believes that if his parents split
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The boy’s father tells him that he “can’t let that happen”, meaning that the father will not allow his marriage to fall apart (Wolff 49). The father’s words say that he will not let his marriage fail; however his constant cycle of failing suggest that his marriage and his relationship with his son will ultimately dwindle down to nothing. Despite the son’s awareness of his father’s irresponsibility and incapability to think about the greater good his family, he finds comfort in the words his father says to him, despite knowing that his parents will most likely split up. Unlike the boy in Powder, who learns that sometimes the future does not seem very bright, the teenager in The Palmist learns that he has the power to change his future if he so desires. The teenager believes he asks old man idiotic questions and in response the palmist tells the teen that his he asks “good question[s]” (Lam 80). The palmist reassures the teenager of his legitimacy by validating his concerns and questions about his future. The boy discovers that no one has written his future in stone and he can do anything he wishes. The teenagers face some harsh realities from the adults. They learn that despite feeling in control of their future, sometimes it can spiral out of
The boy’s father tells him that he “can’t let that happen”, meaning that the father will not allow his marriage to fall apart (Wolff 49). The father’s words say that he will not let his marriage fail; however his constant cycle of failing suggest that his marriage and his relationship with his son will ultimately dwindle down to nothing. Despite the son’s awareness of his father’s irresponsibility and incapability to think about the greater good his family, he finds comfort in the words his father says to him, despite knowing that his parents will most likely split up. Unlike the boy in Powder, who learns that sometimes the future does not seem very bright, the teenager in The Palmist learns that he has the power to change his future if he so desires. The teenager believes he asks old man idiotic questions and in response the palmist tells the teen that his he asks “good question[s]” (Lam 80). The palmist reassures the teenager of his legitimacy by validating his concerns and questions about his future. The boy discovers that no one has written his future in stone and he can do anything he wishes. The teenagers face some harsh realities from the adults. They learn that despite feeling in control of their future, sometimes it can spiral out of