In the stories “Teenage Wasteland” by Anne Tyler, and “Mules” by Brian Fawcett, both protagonists strive for freedom and require the assistance of their parents. All though one conforms to the adult world, and one refuses the responsibilities placed upon him, their struggles are very much alike.

            Both Protagonists are reluctant to be taught, but they realize they must at least give it a try. In “Mules”, the protagonist fights driving and all the responsibilities that come with it. Eventually he realizes that his efforts are futile, and he decides to give it a try. In turn, The protagonist in “Teenage Wasteland” struggles with his school work and just doesn’t seem to care about his grades and his future. Cal, a recommended tutor convinces Donny to try to improve his school work, and it works for a while. Grades improve, but not for long. His grades begin to slip, and he is now worse then he used to be.

            The parents of both sons play a major role in their sons’ lives, and determining their future. Without their parents, both sons would have complete control over their lives, most likely sending themselves into a downward spiral of immaturity and failure. In “Mules”, the protagonist’s father convinces him to drive, and teaches him well. All though he has no intention of learning to drive, he realizes that he must learn, and it is part of the adult world. Likewise, Donny’s mother in “Teenage Wasteland” does all she can to help Donny, and improve his grades, and his teenage years. Without the help of his mother, he would most likely drop out of school, associate himself with bad people, or a gang, and end up with a low-end job for the rest of his life, barely getting through life and all it‘s challenges.

            All though the efforts of both son’s parents have impacted their lives, one has heeded their parents’ advice, and conformed to society, and one has decided to retain his freedom, and run away from everything that cannot be easily dealt with. The protagonist in “Mules” realizes that he has to learn to drive, if he wishes to gain respect and be part of the adult world. In contrast, Donny refuses the responsibilities he must acquire, and decides to retain his freedom. Both parents have made a valiant effort to mature their children, but in the end, the person being helped has to be willing to receive help, if he wishes to solve the problems that confront him. A mule has to have it’s stubbornness broken, before it will do what it is meant to do.

            Ultimately, both protagonists strive for freedom and require the assistance of their parents. The pressure and responsibilities placed upon a person can be too much, and make them avoid it at all costs, or it can be helpful and encourage them to be a part of the adult world in society. Both these choices relate to the protagonists and their decisions in the stories, and all though their struggles are similar, they choose to follow different paths in the end.