: It highlights how teenagers often "act out" versions of who they think they should be.
: The "tude" serves as a defensive armor against the genuine fears of growing up and the draft. my mature tude
: To maintain the "tude," the narrator listens to jazz, reads "adult" literature, and smokes cigarettes with a specific, studied indifference. : It highlights how teenagers often "act out"
: The story explores the tension between his desire to be perceived as an adult and the reality of his lingering childhood insecurities and biological urges. " the narrator listens to jazz
: Like much of Boyle's work, it looks back at the past with a mix of affection and sharp-edged critique of the narrator's younger self.