The story under discussion is “The Bog Girl” by Karen Russell. It revolves around the bog girl found by a boy. She becomes the major concern of the whole text as it represents a certain kind of non-personality that can be used for various purposes.
These might include the desired girlfriend for Cillian, who wants such sort of relations very much, or an exemplary school girl from the perspective of other people (Russell). These events take place in the background of a complex mother-son bond that reflects the peculiarities of teens’ growing and their confrontation with adults. In such a way, “The Bog Girl” becomes a reflection of the contemporary youth with its ambiguous attitudes and perspectives on various aspects of social relations combined with excessive sexualization.
Altogether, “The Bog Girl” can be considered an attempt to reveal problems and ideals of the modern young generation that engages in the specific kind of social relations that can be unsympathetic or even strange to many other people. Introducing the image of a bog girl that serves as the background for all events, the author also shows that individuality becomes less important than a particular placeholder that is used in various contexts to meet the existing requirements and satisfy multiple desires or needs (Russell). Represented in a surrealistic and even sarcastic tone, the story, however, touches upon serious problems peculiar to the modern youth.
The problematic relations between mother and son and attempts to resolve conflicts add some specific meanings to the story and make readers think about the existence of possible solutions that can be used to eliminate the generation gap and create a new perspective on relations and social interactions needed for all contemporary teens.
Work Cited
Russell, Karen. “The Bog Girl.” The New Yorker. 2016. Web.