Character Analysis Of Wallace Stegner's Chip Off The Old Block

Wallace Stegner produces a positive outlook of adulthood in his coming of age short story “Chip Off the Old Block”. In this story, set during a flu epidemic in 1918, 12 year old Chet is left alone to attend to the family business after his family all contracted the flu. Chet confronts multiple obstacles such as managing the business and having to throw out two thieves by overcoming his childish tendencies. He hosts a party with his many neighbors to celebrate the end of World War I, when suddenly, his family returns. Instead of joining the celebration, Chet’s father immediately disapproves of his actions. Chet resents this and with the help of his new attitude and tale of his experiences is able to prove to his father and mother that he
In “Chip Off The Old Block” Chet is left alone due to his family’s illness. This makes it possible for Chet to have to rely on himself to survive and keep the family business afloat. In the same manner Connie is also left alone in “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” due to her family leaving to attend a barbeque. Like Chet, Connie also has to rely on herself to overcome her obstacles such as the threatening Arnold Friend. Stegner and Oates both use this plot point in order to establish that their characters cannot rely on their family for help or protection which emphasizes their transition to
In Stegner’s depiction the purpose seems to be the successful overcoming of obstacles that a child, specifically a boy, has to go through in order to become a man. Chet is able to prove that he is indeed mature and capable because Stegner wants to show how bravery and hard-work lead to a positive outlook of adulthood. In Oates’ depiction the purpose seems to be to show how trying to grow up too soon can lead to harsh and brutal consequences. There is a juxtaposition between the fantasy Connie has of adulthood and the abrupt push into the adult world that Arnold represents. Both authors effectively wrote stories reflecting the transition from childhood to adulthood, but while Stegner chose to exhibit the positive consequences to this transition Oates chose to display the negative