Enthnography Paper on The Quarry and the Lot - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages It also tries to find answers to how Joseph Klein, once a bright, smart boy, became so unfortunate in life and eventually passed away at a very young age. This essay attempts to critically assess the subcultures in the Mark Wallace’s book and explicate on how it is difficult for someone from a different subculture to easily blend in. the fundamental question in this book is why Joseph was so different from the other four friends he had grown up with in a similar environment. How do we compare him to other dangerous, violent and ruthless boys from other subcultures and environments? How do we define grief when people were not able to cope with the deceased whist he was alive? Discussion How does a kid as bright and smart as Joseph Klein turn and become a violent, angry, destructive and a ruthless teenager who disregards authority? This is the question that troubles all the four friends in their interactions as they grew up and in their adulthood. This question does not only trouble the friends, but their parents too and the entire neighborhood. This is evident during Joseph funeral at the Quarry. There is a very big irony at this instance. Why are all these people attending Joseph’s funeral and yet they never regarded him as a friend but an enemy? This beats logic. Are they pretending to be in grief due to the sudden and mysterious death of Joseph? Or are they are truly in grief? Everyone present at this funeral literary had no clue as to what they were doing there (Wallace 11). Joseph grew up from a very humble family whose previous generations produced academicians. Amelia, Luke and Nick, are all trying to ponder how Joseph turned out to be such a monster. What subculture was he prescribing too? When he became an adult, he pushed everyone away from his life, ruthlessly bullied all his friends. It is although very confusing when Wallace aims to establish the impact and role of Joseph Klein in the other friends lives. All these people grew up in the same environment and were all defined by the same subculture. Luke turned out to be a teacher and a poet writer and Luke a furniture store owner. It is always assumed that society and its culture and doctrines shape people’s character and future behavior. It can be argued that past subcultures can influence behavior and character. What is happening is really changed by what we believe in and sometimes, things that look normal are actually frightening. This phenomenon might explain what happened to Klein Joseph. When people have lost touch and connection with the deceased, can they experience grief in its true form? The families and childhood friends of Joseph are sharing in grief of his departure. This seemingly looks quite surprising since most of the people at this funeral were never friends with the deceased and possibly do not know why they are there. This funeral is not a formal ceremony and thus no mourner(s) has attempted to pick the slack. They did not know how to express how they felt. These people supposedly hated and disliked Joseph for what he did to them as a neighbor. Mark Wallace manages to depict the nature of American suburbs. They tend to encourage some sense of belonging to a certain community. The ironical solidarity that his friends and parents who did not like him at all are trying to show is an example of how the suburbs are (Wallace 41). Did Joseph Klein in any way ...Download file to see next pagesRead More