A Study of literary youth: Escape vs. Acceptance

A Study of literary youth:
Escape vs. Acceptance
There comes a time in any young person’s life when the culmination of all life’s lessons seem to be all that binds them to their fate. Though indirectly tutored by endless role models and mentors, it is the ability to ascertain the division between wrong and right that sets them free. Two examples of such misguided youth can be found in the short stories “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather, and “Everday Use” by Alice Walker. Cather’s Protagonist, Paul, is a young man stricken with grief. The inability to understand his role in life and to accept his environment creates numerous psychological problems for Paul. He is constantly trying to run away from his own reality. Much like Paul, Walker’s female character, Dee, is a victim of materialistic cravings and a misguided perception of who she is. Where do we find appropriate role models for such individuals? It is in the literary work by Eudora Welty that we find a beacon...