Reading Between the Lines: Why Donny Runs Away

Anne Tyler’s story “Teenage Wasteland” raises many questions. Why does Daisy let herself lose all control over her son? What is Cal’s actual set-up with the students he tutors? What does the ending image of the basketball mean? But for me, one questioned topped the rest: why does Donny run away?

To understand why Donny runs away, we have to understand the four major influences in his life presented in this story. The first, and least, of these influences are his parents. After a certain age in a young person’s life, his or her parents, once the greatest influence in this person’s life, are superseded by other, more prevalent influences. Since his father is rarely at home anyway, Donny would not miss him much if he were to run away. Also, while Donny’s mother’s intentions are good, in his eyes she must be a nuisance. Therefore, running away would also separate Donny from her.

The next major influence in the “influence food chain” would be Donny’s friends. In a teenager’s life, these are the people one wants to spend the most time with. If he were to run away, Donny could spend as much time with his friends as fits into their schedule with no consequences; no curfew, no rules, no limitations from either his parents or his school. Again, this freedom is another incentive for Donny to run away.

Of course, specific to Donny’s life, as opposed to the lives of teenagers in general, is the influence that is Cal. As the story’s readers, we are not certain exactly what Cal does do, but we do know that he gains Donny’s trust. Donny needs a role-model. He does not like his parents for this position, and his friends are his equals, so they cannot be looked up to as a higher wisdom. Donny finds this role-model in Cal. Cal fills Donny’s head with thoughts of negligence towards responsibility and authority, and absolute freedom: perfectly good ideas in an idealistic society, but not realistic in our own. Still, since Cal is Donny’s role-model, Donny accepts and believes in these ideas Cal gives him, and runs away both in search of them and to escape their opposites.

Finally, we must consider the greatest influence in Donny’s life: his own mind. As a child, one’s influences are primarily exterior and unquestioningly accepted. Yet as one grows older, he or she begins to question these exterior influences and develops opinions of them. Donny may have had many exterior influences in his life, but it was he himself who interprets these influences and acts on these interpretations. He wants to escape the influence of his parents. He wants to spend more time among his friends. And he wants to follow the guidance of Cal. In the end, it is all Donny’s choice.

I do not believe Donny runs away because of Cal. If Donny was going to run away from home, the idea had already been planted and he was going to run away some time or another. Cal simply speeds-up this process. (518)