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Gabrielle Abel
Professor Lago
English 1500
April 19, 2014
T.C Boyle
One of Americas most popular fiction writers, T.C Boyle has published over
twenty-five novels and has written over one hundred short stories. T.C Boyle born
Thomas John Boyle on December 2, 1948. At the age of seventeen he changed his
middle name to Coroghessan. Boyle was your average teen who had a dream of
becoming a musician, until he failed his audition. He soon then realized that history was
something he had a connection with. Boyles life slowly began to take a turn for the
worst. In college he got addicted to drugs. At that point in his life he realized getting
addicted to drugs was the reason he began writing. Writing is a major contributor to his
life.
Every writer had that someone or something that motivates him or her or helps
him or her make their writing stronger. Author Paul Gleason writes Some of the
greatest authors from the twentieth century that helped influence Boyles writing
included John Updike, Saul Krisina, Albert Camus and Samuel Beckett. These writers
made Boyle realize he was a lot like them, because they all had one thing in common
being wise guys. Those are the type of writers that can be slightly arrogant, but yet
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very intelligent. Wise guys want to teach their audience a lesson as they are enjoying
their work. Boyle has demonstrated throughout his work that he is a wise guy.
When Boyle writes it feels so real, almost as if you can visualize the entire story
in your head. The baby all slick with blood and mucus and the lumped white stud that
was like something that spilled at the bottom of a garbage can (Boyle 351). As the baby
comes out the womb, it is complete covered with blood and a white coating. As if the
baby was just sitting at the bottom of a trash can. Paul Gleason states T.C Boyle is so
precise about his use of details in his writing. He wants his readers to be able to connect
to what he is writing. The use of details is always important throughout a story.
T.C Boyle mainly focuses on his characters throughout his stories. Its almost as
if his characters come alive. Boyle did not have the greatest childhood growing up. Both
of his parents died while he was young. He did not have anyone to guide him in the right
direction throughout his teenage years. Not having his parents involved in his life
allowed him to make some bad decisions. Just like two characters from his short story
The Love of My Life, Jeremy and China did not make the smartest decision. Their
parents were blind to everything that was going on in their childrens lives. It was his
mother, calling from the hotel room in Boston curled up-shacked up? for the weekend
with the man shed been dating (Boyle 346). What type of example is Jeremy mother
setting for him? While shes sneaking around with her boyfriend, her son could be doing
whatever. That was extremely careless of his mother.
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Many different things can impact a childs life. For example, too much free time.
When you have so much trust in your children you dont think about what could possibly
go wrong. For Boyle it was not taking school serious enough and getting addicted to
heroin. China and Jeremys problem was they had way too much free time on their
hands. For example, the couple was allowed to go on a camping trip without adult
supervision for five days. Free at last, Thank God Almighty free at last (Boyle 348).
Something was bound to go wrong on their trip.
Drugs can really change someones life for the better or worst, for Boyle it was a
life changing experience. Drugs were his purpose to begin writing (Shit and Death
Interview). Using drugs was probably one of the worst decisions hes ever made in his
life. Just like Boyle, China and Jeremy made some bad decisions in The love of My
Life. The two could have went about their situation (pregnancy) a completely different
way. Get rid of it, just get rid of it (Boyle 351). China could have went to an abortion
clinic instead of killing the baby and acting as if she didnt care. Teens may not always
make the smartest decisions throughout life, and we cant always blame our parents
because we should know right from wrong. But not having your parents apart of your
life can really affect one. Boyle, China and Jeremys parents werent involved with their
childrens lives and all three made decisions that could have possibly destroyed their
lives forever. There is always a positive way to go about situations in life.
Writing was possibly the greatest thing that happened to Boyle. He can bring a
character to life in a single sentence (T.C Boyle Stories). Boyles characters make his
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stories. His walk, his smile, the muscles, of his upper arms and shoulders. Even his
hair lay flat now (Boyle 351). The way China sees Jeremy in the court room is
amazing, the small details allows a reader to see exactly what she sees. Boyle most
often hits the mark (T.C Boyle Stories). As a writer should hit the mark every time he
or she writes a story.
Believe it or not Boyle does have things in common with his characters. An
individual can be addicted to other things than your typical things like drugs or alcohol.
Boyles addiction is writing (Shit and Death Interview). China and Jeremys addiction
was loves. Love can be something so powerful, it can be the most difficult thing to let go
off. After everything China and Jeremy had been through they still managed to love each
other at the end of the day. Because Jeremy was the love of her life (Boyle 356).
Boyle isnt your everyday writer; he isnt like most writers who write because its
their destiny. He had to find a passion for writing. Boyle takes the time to plan his
stories. Boyle constructs plots and characters that are weird but accessible, thought
provoking but immediate (Understanding T.C Boyle). He doesnt have your typical
characters with just an ordinary problem. He makes sure his characters and plots are
planned out carefully but can definitely catch the readers attention. She was pregnant,
they figured since the camping trip, and it was their secret, a new constant in their lives, a
fact, an inescapable fact (Boyle 349). The plot was China was pregnant, and it was no
other way to get around the fact that she was pregnant.
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Not all writers, write about things that are happy. Boyles work:
eccentric, dark, meticulously built layer by layer (Shit and Death
Interview). His work is unconventional, slightly strange, shows traits of
unhappiness, and extreme care about the little details. All Boyles stories
flow with each other. Do you love me she whispered? There was a long
hesitation, a pause you could poured all the affirmation of the world into.
(Boyle 350). Like a seizure, like a knife blade thrust into her spine
(Boyle 351). China sees Jeremy isnt happy with the situation, the two could
have gone to hospital to get help maybe she wouldnt have been in so much
pain.
T.C Boyle is a fascinating writer, who lifts his readers off their feet
each time he writes. Many things influence his purpose for writing; like
many old writers, drugs, and tragic child hood. He shows all those
characteristics throughout his writing. He is able to bring his stories along
with his characters to life when he writes. Not many authors are like Boyle,
he is unique; one of a kind.





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Works Cited
Boyle, T.C. The Love of My Life. The Literature and Writing Process. Elizabeth
McMahan. Boston: Pearson, Tenth Edition. 2014
Boyle, T. C., and Jody Gehrman. "Shit and Death: An Interview with T. C. Boyle." Black
Warrior Review 28.1 (2001): 165-173. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena O.
Krstovic. Vol. 127. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Literature Resource Center. Web. 21
Apr. 2014.
Gleason, Paul. Understanding T.C. Boyle. South Carolina: University of South Carolina
Press, 2009. Print
Knudsen, James. "T. C. Boyle Stories." World Literature Today 74.3 (2000): 591.
Literature Resource Center. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.