“People are more interesting than events. I like books that present fascinating charachters” - This Boy’s Life

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“People are more interesting than events. I like books that present fascinating charachters”

This Boy’s Life

“This Boy’s Life“, by Tobias Wolff is an autobiography, which shows the young Tobias’s struggle to grow up in a dysfunctional family. Deception, Disguise and illusion are the weapons the young Tobias Wolff has to adopt in order to get along in his life.

This Boy’s Life starts on the road from Florida to Utah when Wolff and his mother are trying to escape the grasp of her violent boyfriend Roy.

“To get away from a man my mother was afraid of”

They Drive to Utah and expect to “get rich on uranium” but when they got there they discovered all the uranium that was to be found had been. They then ventured on until they got to Salt Lake City where his mothered “figured there must be some ore around there”. Although no one had ever found uranium in Salt Lake City, she did not take this as a deterrent, in fact she took it as more reason to go.

“The fact that nobody had found any meant that we would have the place pretty much to ourselves.”

This is when we first experience his mothers optimistic view on most issues. If she wants it badly enough, she will do anything she can to get it and no facts or stories can make her change her mind.

           They got to Salt Lake City. They found no uranium. What they did find was Roy.

           

Yet again, they leave in a hurry to escape Roy. This time escaping to Seattle. They lived in Seattle, and Wolff enjoys his stay there. Roy does not find them, to rosemary and Wolff’s delight. Now in Seattle Wolff has a new enemy, Marion. Marion sees straight through Wolff and can tell his kind a mile away. The dislike is mutual though, because Wolff is not too keen on her, but is scared of her:

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“Her arm’s were as thick as a man’s”

Marian was constantly trying to get rid of Wolff, and that meant getting rid of his mother as well, although she did not dislike Wolff’s mother, although she did pity her, mainly for being so trusting of the Toby she knows.

Marian finally got her wish when Dwight stepped in.

Loving, caring and very trusting, Rosemary, at a glance, seems like the perfect mother. However, once studied we realize she is far from the perfect mother. Although she is very loving, her ability to love Wolff does ...

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