Theme and message

The main theme of the story “Greyhound Tragedy” by Richard Brautigan is comfort versus risk-taking. The story becomes more complex through the motifs of growing-up and Hollywood culture. The author sends a critical message by exploring the motif of Hollywood culture because the story suggests that movies and magazines showing the lifestyle of celebrities can give people an unrealistic perspective on life. The protagonist dreams of having the life of a movie star and spends all her time following celebrity news. However, her life is very different from what she reads in the magazines or sees in the movies. When she realizes this at the bus station, she is disappointed and frustrated by her own naivety and dreams. It is at this point that the motif of growing-up intervenes. For the character, growing up mea...