Toolan explains that Conroy's writing style is simple; there is no anomie or postmodernist narrative or minimalism. Rather, "Conroy doesn't hoard or save anything till later, but, as Annie Dillard advises, spends it all, right away, every time" (127). This style is consistent with, and works well with, his use of realistic, non-plot driven characters who seem true to life (very o

L. Jones' assessment is that My Losing Season is about overcoming the challenges presented by, "people who smashed Conroy to pieces" (33). This included not only his domineering father, but his mentally abusive coach, Mel Thompson; Thompson's "harsh words and loathing attitude beat down Conroy and his teammates" (Jones, L. 33). In both of these cases, the story relayed by Conroy becomes about the power of overcoming adversity. In other words, Conroy became a better person because of the adversity he faced through his relationships with his father and coach. In sharing that very personal account with the reader, Conroy has established an incredible piece of nonfiction that also adds weight to his nonfiction.

The transition is important for Will and relates to Conroy's other characters. For example, Ben in The Great Santini experiences a huge transition, also associated with becoming an adult.

As L. Jones explains, "Conroy has struggled throughout his life, especially in relationships" (33). It is obvious from his nonfiction and the close correlation between his "fiction" and his actual life that Conroy has really lived much of what he writes about. Writing about what he knows, those troubled relationships have become the themes and characters of his many stories to an effective end. Using even highly personal relationships like the relationship between himself and his father, he truly opens himself up for the reader. Conroy shapes his characters from his real life experience, and benefits from it; those characters, because of their life-like experiences and relationships, appeal to readers on an emotional and personal way. Pat Conroy has made a significant impact on the world of literature through his novels and nonfiction in a way that would not be possible for an author who does not use his own life experiences in his writing. Through this contribution, the reader gets a beautiful and powerful glimpse of both good and bad relationships, human nature, and human experiences that are true to life. In this author's opinion, Donald "Pat" Conroy has made a generous contribution to the world of writing through a combination of great creativity and raw honesty.

When the Citadel played East Carolina in 1967, his father showed up to watch him play for the first time in Pat's college career. When the Citadel lost, "he put me up against the wall and said, 'You're s-t. Your team's s-t. Your coach is s-t.' ... I was stunned to find out I scored 25 points that game. When I wrote about that, I had to sit back and think, I had a father who couldn't be proud of his kid who scored 25 points in a college basketball game. I could do nothing to please him (Jones, Malcolm 64).

If Conroy's characters more or less represent people from his real life, his narrator/main character usually represents his own image. It is difficult to portray and write about a character based on yourself, and still Conroy successfully does so again and again without overpowering the stories. For example, The Great Santini does not come over as a story all about Ben's side of a struggle. It actually focuses more on Ben's father and how he is affecting the people around him (Wands, The Great Santini, par. 1). Toolan describes Ben and other similar characters "Conroy's hero-narrators" for whom "belonging does not come easy but must be earned by trial and ordeal" (127). In other words, the hero-narrator must find something good out of his struggle and that is what Conroy effectively does to make his novels and nonfic

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2379
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)