Beginning of Essay
The short story "Teenage Wasteland" by Anne Tyler is a revealing story about the trials of a mother and her son. Donny is what is known as a problem child, and Daisy cannot to seem to figure out what his problem is. Through many attempts she tries to reach to him ....

Middle of Essay
.... husband, Matt, have tried what they can. "We don't let him watch TV on school nights. We don't let him talk on the phone till he's finished his homework. But he tells us that he doesn't have any homework or he did it all in study hall. How are we to know what to believe?" (Schwiebert 287) The principal gives Daisy the idea to check his assignments everyday. This wears down on Daisy and she becomes less involved in her daughter's life, and short towards her husband. "By the time her husband, Matt, came home, she'd be snappish. She would recite the day's hardships… Matt would look surprised and confused, and Daisy would gradually wind down. There was ....