In Charles Bock's Beautiful Children, certain themes are starting to become apparent. As most of his characters are wild crazy adolescants, I assume that the main messsage of the book has to do with youth. In addition all of the adult character's actions and ways of life center around the story of the adolescants. I think that Bock is trying to say to people to seize their youth. His tatooed crazy drug teenagers certainly do, but I am not quite far enough in the novel to be able to say what Bock means to say about crazy drug life, except that many people do it. Daphney being one exclaims "Base of my clit. Right wree the nub splits" (208). This is describing where Daphney got a piercing. It demonstrates her and her friends' wild natures and crazy lives.
Bock might also be saying in his book that those who get involved with adult affairs, at no matter what age, will have to deal with the adult consequences. The character Daphney has been created to be the party girl type so far in Beautiful Children. She thinks to herself "It looks like I'm having my baby on the street" (209). Rules are set in place for young people because they are not presumed ready to deal with the possible aftermath. This is similiar is Daphney's case but not exactly the same. In my society it is strongly encouraged that teenagers do not engage in sex so that they do not get pregnant. Daphney of course understood the risks of sex before engaging but one can't help but wonder if she would have been raised in a different environnement, a more regulated area, would she still be facing the same problems? Although Daphney's situation might not be entirely her fault, she is still the one who must face the adult consequences that a teenage pregnancy will bring. Beautiful Children not only is an enjoyable novel but also forces me to reflect on my own life.
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Sometimes we, as children and teenagers, presume that we are not subject to consequences that adults must face in their everyday lives. To some extent, yes, this is true; sometimes our superiors shrug off our wrong-doings, claiming that our young age is the one to blame. I agree with you that when kids involve themselves in adult dealings the adult world, they have to deal with adult consequences. It's the equivalent of a foreigner having to deal with the laws of the country which he or she visits.
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