Essay Questions

How does the short story genre relate to this text?

"Greasy Lake" is generally described as a short story. But what makes a piece of literature a short story and what characteristic does a short story has? Generally, a short story is any type of writing that can be read in one sitting. The short story emerged from the oral tradition of storytelling and thus the numbers of characters involved in a short story are limited. The action of the short story is also generally easy to follow and it does not have the same amount of plot twists as a novel may have.

How fast does a body decomposes in water?

When the narrator tires to escape the Fox, he runs to the lake with the intention of swimming to the other side of the lake and escaping to safety. While in the lake, the narrator discovers a dead body, in an advanced state of decomposition. But how fast does a body decomposes in water? When a body is thrown into water, the natural decomposition process is slowed because insects cannot reach the body. The body has the tendency to sink is a person died through drowning but if a person was killed prior to being thrown into the water, than it will float. Scientists discovered that depending on the type of water the body is thrown into, a body will reach an advanced lever of decomposition in about two weeks. If the body was to be laid in the open air, then the body will reach the same type of decomposition in less than a week depending on environmental factors.

What car did the narrator drive in the short story, and why are cars significant here?

The teenager boys in the story have a passion for cars and they always name every car they stumble upon and give their opinion about its efficiency and power. Ironically however, the car the narrator drives is anything but manly and is instead a Chevrolet Bel Air station wagon, a family car designed for those who had a big family. The car is important because it plays an important role in the story and is representative for the characters as well. The teenagers are obsessed with the idea of looking tough but they are just like the car they drive: harmless and less intimidating that they would like it to be.