Comparison between Victory Lap and Endangered Species

The short story Endangered Species, as well as Victory Lap, gives different experiences
of women and young girls in America. The two are a reflection of the deeper issues that have
characterized American society. These issues have created distrust in the American population,
and the level of social trust in the United States has been eroded. Any person in the United States
is bound by the norms that characterize a society. These norms are passed down from one
generation to the next and have taken many years to establish. Racism and oppression of women
have been major defining factors in the United States society. This generates a problem that, if
left unchecked, could continue ailing society and creating high levels of distrust among
members, especially those drawn from different social classes.
One similarity between the stories Endangered Species as well as Victory Lap is the fact
that the two feature female characters. In Victory Lap, the author concentrates on the experiences
of Alison, a teenage girl. The reader is introduced to Alison by a third-person narrator. The
narrator has a deep understanding of the issues that Alison is going through. She is an extremely
imaginative young person who is experiencing growth and development. She is still waiting for
her prince, who will make her fall in love and understand the issues she is going through. The
story also introduces a male character known as Kyle, who lives next to Alison. A close narrative
voice is employed, and one gets to know Kyle also. Similarly, Crystal explores the experiences

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of black women from her point of view. The story begins with various themes that characterize
this injustice. Women are beaten up by their spouses, and the suffering of women does not seem
to be causing society to take any action. There are rules that women have in the workplace, too,
and these rules continue to oppress women. She offers her perspective on these issues to make
the author understand these issues deeply. Evidently, the two stories give perspective into the
lives and experiences of women.
The two stories address various factors that continue to cause divisions in America.
While the United States remains a strong and well-established democracy, ethnic, economic, and
social inequality continue to cause distrust, as elaborated by Kevin Vallier. These issues are
covered deeply in both Endangered Species as well as Victory Lap. The reader gets to understand
why blacks continue to handle whites with high levels of distrust and why women distrust their
male counterparts. Crystal describes her experiences in a neighborhood characterized by high
levels of racism. A white woman asserts that “We’ve got to have some way to control them.” In
this scene, every white person that was in the neighborhood keenly looks at the author; the
distrust is seen by the author describing all people looking at him as all white. Further, the
neighborhood is dominated by white people, which indicates segregation. The author’s mother
notices this and indicates that the neighborhood does not have many blacks. This is also
indicative that neighborhoods are defined by race. In Victory Lap, Alison grows up with the idea
that she is a princess. All her actions suggest that she deserves all the good things that life has to
offer. However, this changes dramatically during the recitals. It is then that the harsh reality that
women are exposed to in society becomes clear. A stranger who is armed with a knife wants to
rape her. It is unimaginable how a stranger would want to harm a young teenage girl. However,

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this is the reality of a society where men attack young girls, and this creates deep levels of
mistrust between the two genders.
The two stories narrate people’s experiences in a way that makes the article, Why do
Americans so distrustful of each other, appear applicable. In the article, Kevin Vallier explains
that the level of social trust in America is low, and this is strange since America is the only
democracy with such a low level of social trust. Crystal and Saunders tell different stories that, in
a way, explain the cause of the low levels of social trust. The stories differ in many ways. For
instance, Crystal’s story explores unjust experiences encountered by black people. Racism is
rampant in the protagonist’s neighborhood, and there is consequently racial injustice. In such a
society, the level of social trust is expected to be low. It is difficult for the black community in
the Endangered Species article to exist peacefully and even trust a society that is biased against
them just based on their skin color.
George Saunders, in Victory Lap, talks about attempted rape and abduction. Allison finds
herself in a situation where her safety is not guaranteed. It is hard to ever trust strangers after
having such an ordeal. Every time Allison encounters strangers or is in a situation with
unfamiliar faces, she will always be reminded of her unfortunate ordeal where one attempted to
rape her and even abduct her. Being in such a situation is difficult. It affects a person’s sense of
security, especially when the circumstances mirror the ones of the attempted rape and abduction.
While Saunders and Crystal tell completely different stories, they explain why people
continue distrusting each other. The two stories are fictional, but they mirror, directly or
indirectly, the societies of the authors. The injustices and insecurities depicted in the two stories
show that people have given each other a reason to be distrustful.

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Overall, the two stories are about the problems that have defined American society.
American society has created deep levels of distrust that define the relationship between men and
women as well as whites and people of color. Oppression continues to persist in society, and
unless something is done, distrust is likely to increase in the future and may reach unbearable
levels. It is the duty of every American to try and undo this.