Boyhood Friendships In Frank Conroy And William

Maxwell Passages Essay, Research Paper

Boyhood friendships exist from moment to moment in and unrealistic and

imaginative state, never taking time to be concerned with each others

appearances or long term plans. Each of the two passages clearly support

this view point, the first authored by Frank Conroy and the second by

William Maxwell. These two passages prove the point that boy hood

friendships are lived in the moment by using point of view and imagery.

In the first passage by Frank Conroy the story is conveyed through

the eyes of Conroy as a young boy, from his point of view. By using point of

view this story is a prime example of how young boys live in the moment and

have excellent imaginations. The opening sentence of this passage states

that he doesn?t ?remember everything about meeting Tobey,? only that he

wondered ?how he could walk on the hot, sharp coral with out shoes.? No

mention of what he looked like, what he was wearing at the time, or what he

talked like. The second example found in this passage comes from line 28.

?The first project was a tree-house built precariously high on a tall pine. The

climb was difficult for anyone who didn?t know the hand-holds we?d

constructed at the hardest parts.? Again, the young boys? imaginations were

running rampant, they devised secret climbing techniques, as if anyone else

would be bothered to climb the tree to get to their tree house, Conroy

himself has already said several times that there was no one else around.

The children enjoyed using their imaginations to make everything all the

more interesting. Another well painted example of Conroy?s imagination as a

young boy occurred when he and his playmate discovered a dead mule. ?We

talked about that mule for weeks. What was its fascination? Death

dramatized, something of unbelievable importance being revealed right in

front of us.? (49-51) Again, the two boyhood friends used their imagination

to pretend that this dead mule was something important. It didn?t just die,

it died for a very specific and ?important? reason. Boyhood friendships are

lived moment to moment using their imaginations to make life interesting.

William Maxwell?s description of a brief moment in his child hood is

excellently supplemented by his use of imagery to allow the reader to feel as

if they are there with them and that they are imagining the same dreams as

the boys? were imagining in their youth. However, as with the first passage,

this passage also shows how children do not seem to care what each other

look like when they play together, they are living in the moment, nothing else

matters. ?If I saw him now the way he was then, I don?t know that I would

recognize him.? (25) Maxwell clearly states that he gave no regard to what

the boy looked like, they were just friends. Similarly, he doesn?t recall

conversations that they had. ?I suppose I said, ?Come on up.?? (17) That is

what he thinks he said, but truth be known he was really too intrigued by the

frame of his new house that he was climbing on to be bothered. The boys

had no need to pay attention to such details they were busy using their

imaginations and having fun playing together. ?…teetering like circus

acrobats on a circus high wire.? (20-21) Excellent imagery paints a picture of

two young boyhood friends not just walking n a beam, but imagining an

adventure to go with it, just walking on a beam would be boring. The

boyhood friends enjoyed each other?s company, and nothing more, never

really got to know one other, just enjoyed being playmates.

The nature of boyhood friendships exist from moment to moment in

and unrealistic and imaginative state. Aspects of each other like looks and

appearances do not matter. Both passages, even though the first takes

place over what appears to be several months or years and the second is a

mere week or so, are similar in that both boyhood friendships are just that,

friendships. The two sets of friends enjoy living day to day with eachother?s

company and imagining the same dreams as the other while going out on the

same ?adventures? as the other. Each boyhood friendship may be different

in the dreams dreamt or the adventures explored, but all boyhood

friendships are that of the same nature.