Some Sarcasm is Best Told Simply

Although sarcasm is often considered a passive aggressive way to communicate, Douglas Thayer makes a great job to convey what he really feels in his novel “Will Wonders Never Cease.”

Being a rebellious teenager growing up in Utah could be very difficult. 

The topic of teen rebellion usually triggers some kind of emotional response; however, adding religion to it could be devastating. Thayer shows a typical adolescent that likes to go against the rules in his fantasy of knowing everything. Although it seems that Kyle was raised in an appropriate environment with religious principles, as readers, we perceive the despair in the hearts of the parents, who are still struggling through the teen years of his son. This fear could be attributed to the loss of control that Lucille and her husband are experiencing instead of looking for a better way to approach Kyle.

Moreover, Thayer places the typical Mormon culture in a funny way where we can all identify certain characters. For example, Lucille a loving but pushing mother who wants to manage the lives of the children, represent many mothers who are violating the will of their children. As Latter-day Saint, we believe that the Lord has given us agency because he trust us and want us to seek his help; therefore, Lucille could have been more respectful, especially when pushing her second son to get married.   

Undoubtedly, Thayer could have done a better job if he had explained more in depth the reasons of Kyle’s rebellion, such as the need for greater independence, etc. Also, if he had simply included more religious principles that reflect our culture as Mormons instead of just listing why Kyle did not agree with certain Mormon traditions.