Analysis of David Updike's Short Story, Summer
Heather Lam
English 12
Thursday November 6th 2014 Summer In the short story Summer, David Updike describes the coming of age of Homer, the main character. Updike uses setting, symbolism, and events to illustrate his journey. Then to elaborate further on the transition from childhood to adulthood, Updike uses seasons as a symbol to reflect the feelings Homer expresses.
In the opening paragraph, Homer spends his days in the “adolescent pursuit of childhood pleasures” (pg 359, Summer). It is the simple childhood activities like games of tennis or baseball that gives him the feeling of youth. To parallel Homer’s feeling, Updike describes the summer nights filled with an endless amount of stars making the sky seem infinite with “no bounds” ( pg 359, Summer). As children, the sense of boundary is constantly being learned and discovered. This small view into Homer’s pastimes allows the reader to catch a glimpse of Homer’s childlike side.
As the story continues, Homer takes an interest in Sandra, the girl next door. He no longer plays games to pass the time, instead he spends his days thinking about her. Soon he notices notices every detail about her, her inability to get a tan despite being outdoors, or the way she walks. However, as young man, to approach Sandra and tell her how he really feels takes large amounts of courage. When Homer is around her, he is always very cautious not letting on too much about how he feels. For the time being, Homer is living in absolute bliss.
With a “merciless succession of beautiful days” (pg 301, Summer), it seems like nothing can wrong. Time slows down and everything is perfect, especially with Sandra.
Unfortunately all good things come to an end. As summer comes to an end, Homer realizes that he will have to say goodbye to Sandra without her knowing his true feelings for her. Time isn’t the only thing running out for Homer, the glorious summer days have also begun to fade “leaving the sky a hard
English 12
Thursday November 6th 2014 Summer In the short story Summer, David Updike describes the coming of age of Homer, the main character. Updike uses setting, symbolism, and events to illustrate his journey. Then to elaborate further on the transition from childhood to adulthood, Updike uses seasons as a symbol to reflect the feelings Homer expresses.
In the opening paragraph, Homer spends his days in the “adolescent pursuit of childhood pleasures” (pg 359, Summer). It is the simple childhood activities like games of tennis or baseball that gives him the feeling of youth. To parallel Homer’s feeling, Updike describes the summer nights filled with an endless amount of stars making the sky seem infinite with “no bounds” ( pg 359, Summer). As children, the sense of boundary is constantly being learned and discovered. This small view into Homer’s pastimes allows the reader to catch a glimpse of Homer’s childlike side.
As the story continues, Homer takes an interest in Sandra, the girl next door. He no longer plays games to pass the time, instead he spends his days thinking about her. Soon he notices notices every detail about her, her inability to get a tan despite being outdoors, or the way she walks. However, as young man, to approach Sandra and tell her how he really feels takes large amounts of courage. When Homer is around her, he is always very cautious not letting on too much about how he feels. For the time being, Homer is living in absolute bliss.
With a “merciless succession of beautiful days” (pg 301, Summer), it seems like nothing can wrong. Time slows down and everything is perfect, especially with Sandra.
Unfortunately all good things come to an end. As summer comes to an end, Homer realizes that he will have to say goodbye to Sandra without her knowing his true feelings for her. Time isn’t the only thing running out for Homer, the glorious summer days have also begun to fade “leaving the sky a hard