In “The Ascent,” Ron Rash introduces us to a kid raised by cocaine addicts named Jared. Jared ventures to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park to escape his sad home life, and during his little adventure Jared discovers the lost plane authorities have been searching for for months. As he leaves, Jared takes the ring from the woman on the plan and returns home where he discovers that his parents are already out of drugs. His father takes the ring Jared had found and then sells it for money. His surroundings and foreshadowing suggest that Jared will have to make a life-changing decision, but his youth suggests that he is too naive to come to such a realization. Jared's difficult environment suggests that something will need to change in his life. No child should have to live in an unstable environment where nothing is planned for them. Ron Rash writes: “Monday morning the Baggies were empty and his parents were sick. Her mother was sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, shivering” (285). Jared's parents' cocaine addiction is such that they need it to survive. His parents' drug addiction prevents them from providing for him. Jared realizes that his parents are improvising with a log because they are unable to provide a real Christmas tree when he talks with his father: "You and your mom, go ahead and light our Christmas tree." I'll be back in a few minutes. “It’s not a Christmas tree,” Jared said. “Of course, my son,” his father replied, “it’s just a piece cut into pieces, that’s all” (283). He cannot continue to live without hope that his parents will provide for him. He probably won't do much in life knowing that his parents can't provide for him due to their addiction. The author uses foreshadowing to read...... middle of paper ...... because there he can escape his parents and invent the scenario he wants. Although Jared is a naive child, the story uses foreshadowing and an unstable environment to lead to his character's realization. The bad atmosphere that reigns in Jared suggests that he will not be able to live like this forever. The author's use of foreshadowing leads the reader to believe that Jared will leave his parents. Although Jared is a naive child, he finally realizes that he cannot continue to live in such horrible conditions and that his parents will never change. Readers understand that it was his parents' negligence that caused him to return to the plane. If his parents had had their priorities straight, maybe Jared wouldn't have died. Works Cited Rash, Ron. “Assent.” The Best American Short Stories 2010. Eds. Richard Russo and Heidi Pitlor. New York: Boston, 2010. 279-287. Print