Short Critical Analysis of “The American Male at Age Ten”

In “The American Male at Age Ten”, Susan Orleans explores the profile of a ten-year old boy, Colin Duffy. Overall, I found this piece to be quite amusing. My favorite part of the short character profile is Orleans’ interactions with Colin. Colin is your typical ten-year-old boy but he has this innocence that I found nostalgic while reading.

However, Orleans also notes how mature he is for his age, which I also found astounding. For example, when Orleans asked him what is the most important thing in the world, he said Game Boy but quickly backtracked and said, “The world is the most important thing in the world.” It is so matter-of-fact and quite philosophical for a kid. I also like the raw humor in this piece. Colin seems like a cool kid to hang out for a day. He is smart, ingenious, and practical.

            Additionally, I like how the tone shifted in this piece. At first, it was a humorous narrative about a kid that quickly shifted to an analysis about boyhood on a whole. Orleans raises the notion of how Colin’s age is the age that boys develop “normative developmental trauma” which leaves boys have difficulty in intimacy, empathy, and commitment in relationships. I was surprised at how quickly Orleans shifted the account of a young boy into an exploration of the young boy’s psyche. Nonetheless, I didn’t find it the topic change stifling or abrupt; in fact, I found that it as needed to not only understand Colin, but to understand boys at his age and I can see where Orleans was going with this.

            I also find this account really compelling because, oftentimes, kids tend to be ignored. No one really takes the time to listen and understand a kid, much less trying to know them as a person. People view kids, as just that—kids. Thus, Orleans really brings this narrative to life by exploring the depths of a young boy and trying to find meaning under all that innocence.