Since Doug Thayer wrote his novel from the perspective of Kyle a 15 year old boy, he was able to get away with being quite honest throughout his novel. Not only was Kyle honest about everything, but he clearly got it from his mother, Lucille. Lucille is the Mormon mother every child should have. She says it how it is and it's quite refreshing to hear. In Mormon culture, most things pertaining to "scandalous" topics are hushed and not talked about or discussed. Lucille is quite the opposite. She is very open and honest about everything from sex to homosexuals to drugs and alcohol. By Lucille being very open and honest about everything, it doesn't give the best depiction of how Mormon culture really is like in Utah, specifically.
I think overall Doug Thayer did a good job in portraying Mormon beliefs.
I agree that it doesn't give the best depiction of how Mormon culture really is. I really liked the novel, and how blunt his mom was. I wish some boys in my high school grew up with Lucille as their mom. It may have changed who they are. Most teenagers (male and female) need the blunt truth, which usually is avoided.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Las Vegas and I felt like Kyle had a personality very similar to that of my friends and I. I was especially able to relate to his relationship with Mark. I had plenty of nonmember friends, and one ended up getting baptized after I first asked him to come play basketball with our ward so we would have a 3 point shooter. So I feel that more connect with this novel, even those from Utah, than you would expect. However after our discussion last class it may be most relatable to those who have been teenage boys, and those who have had teenage sons. I also liked how you highlighted being blunt and upfront with the truth, something I feel that is not common in Utah.
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