"Greasy Lake", by T.Coraghessan Boyle, and the Writing Techniques that Were Used to Develop the Theme and Meaning

Whether it be stealing some candy at a store, or punching a kid in the mouth for the shear aspect of respect and fear from others, people at one time or another have felt the "good to be bad" feeling. I speak from personal experience myself, for I have wanted to be one of the "bad guys" on more than one occasion. Though I'm not a bad person, there are times when I have tried to make myself more "bad" than I really was. One instance is when I was much younger, and trying to impress others, I threw a rock at a camp counselor's car of whom I was upset with. I don't recall what I was upset about; only know of the later consequences of that action, and the looks on my friends faces when I did it. My parents were all very much surprised and wondered what I was thinking, and I all I said was "...I don't know". I was the quiet kid in class, of whom no one would expect to do such things, even when upset. I didn't do it because I was upset, but because my friends were around and I wanted to prove I could be bad, or at least look like I am.
With this past experience, along with others that are quite similar, I have established a connection with the short story, Greasy Lake, by T. Coraghessan Boyle. …