This One Summer

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | YA | Published in 2014

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Pages 1-65

Pages 66-169

Pages 170-259

Pages 260-319

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Themes

The Emergence of Adolescence and Accompanying Loss of Innocence

The emergence of adolescence and accompanying loss of innocence is the primary theme in This One Summer. Protagonist Rose and deuteragonist Windy are 12 and 10 years old, and thus approaching their teenage years. They’ve met every summer at Awago Beach since they were young, and the beach has become a symbol of their bond as well as their childhoods. However, this summer is different from summers past, as Rose and Windy are eager to discuss sexuality and the sexual lives of the teenagers at the beach. Rose’s innocence further gives way to experience as she slowly learns of her mother’s trauma.

Rose and Windy’s conversations about sexuality are frequent and represent their curiosity about growing up and perceptions of womanhood. Windy approaches the subject from a lighter perspective, often joking about the size of her or other girls’ breasts, or the way bathing suits are like underwear. Still, Windy becomes uncomfortable when she is directly exposed to the conversations between Awago’s teenagers, such as when they yell, “BLOW JOB…. It’s oral sex, kids!” (61), and dislikes Rose’s frequent talk of Duncan. She finds the idea of having a crush on an older boy disgusting, and calls Duncan “the Dud” (79). Rose, on the other hand, attempts to act mature, often discussing sex as if she knows far more than Windy. When she tells Windy that “All the girls here are sluts” (241), she demonstrates that she is not as mature as she acts, and Windy proves herself wiser by calling out Rose’s sexism. Rose’s crush on Duncan is a source of conflict, as she is well aware that she is too young for him, but cannot help but like him anyway: “It’s not like I want him to be my boyfriend or anything like that. He’s like eighteen. That’s, like, perverted” (251).

Rose is also aware of her dissipating childhood, and seems to grow more sullen as the weeks progress. Her parents fight and her father eventually retreats to the city for a few days, alerting Rose to the true extent of her parents’ conflict. Throughout the summer, Rose is neglected by her mother while Alice copes with returning to the place where her miscarriage occurred. She is unaware of the depth of Alice’s grief, and judges her harshly for wanting another child. She feels she should be enough for Alice (in terms of offspring), demonstrating her lack of understanding of adulthood and tendency to assume the worst. In the novel’s conclusion, Rose overhears her mother telling Evelyn about her miscarriage, and her innocence is further stripped from her. She comes to better understand her mother, but the conflict between them remains unresolved. Despite Rose’s various summertime experiences, she still looks forward to growing up: “Boobs would be cool” (319).

The Socially Prescribed Obligations of Womanhood

The socially prescribed obligations of womanhood persist in the lives of every character in the novel and create conflict both between and within them. The story’s protagonist, Rose, is approaching adolescence and has yet to figure out what womanhood means to her; at the same time, she feels confident that she knows what a good mother and woman should be and is extremely judgmental of anyone who does not uphold this image, including her own mother Alice and Jenny. Alice feels unable to overcome the loss of her unborn child and has thoughts of inadequacy as a mother both because she can no longer have children—and because of her neglect of Rose. The effects of these social obligations are made most clear when Jenny attempts to end her own life after Duncan refuses to help her shoulder the responsibilities of parenthood.

Rose’s views on womanhood are problematic and shallow, and though she is only 12, she acts as if she’s already figured everything out. She carries herself with a snobbish air when she is around 10-year-old Windy, as if she is far older and wiser than her. Rose grows to resent her mother when Alice can’t bring herself to be emotionally present for her, and fails to understand the extent of Alice’s suffering. At one point, Rose even accuses Alice of being a bad mother, saying, “Dad’s happy with just me. You don’t even WANT to be happy” (229). She doesn’t understand why the act of having and raising children is an important aspect of womanhood for Alice. Rose also has a negative view of Jenny, and Evelyn points out how unfair it is for Rose and Windy to judge Jenny without even knowing her: “Bit strange calling someone you don’t even know a slut” (42). Jenny’s experiences after she becomes pregnant are a microcosm of a much larger issue in forcing pregnant women to take full responsibility. Despite their youth, Rose and Windy are well aware that sexual assault is a common experience for women, as they comment on whether the island has rape kits or not. Even Windy is not safe from Rose’s criticism, as the latter judges the former for drinking too much soda (as this doesn’t adhere to beauty and dieting standards targeted at women) and not being interested in boys (as if relationships are what define women).

In a moment of irony, Rose tries to demonstrate her knowledge of womanhood while she and Windy watch Friday the 13th. Rose comments that “It sort of seems like every bad thing that happens in this movie happens because of a girl” (195). While Rose is correct in this case, she fails to see that this is a symptom of societal stereotyping of women as weak and vulnerable. Instead, she comments, “Less guys would die if they weren’t having to rescue these dumb girls who can’t save themselves” (196). These comments reflect her opinion of Jenny and how she believes the teenage girl deserves to be alone and miserable. Rose’s judgment of Jenny is ultimately called out by Windy, who sees through her sexism. The older’s judgmental attitude toward the girls and women around her illustrates how The Socially Prescribed Obligations of Womanhood are instilled in girls at an impressionable age, and that they can retain these ideas of what a woman should or shouldn’t be forever (as internalized misogyny).

The Permeative Effects of Mental Illness

In the novel, trauma-related mental illness is a force that illustrates how the inner turmoil of one person can ripple and affect the world around them. Two characters in particular struggle with their mental health: Alice, Rose’s mother, who suffered a miscarriage and still grieves the loss, and Jenny, a teenage girl who becomes pregnant and is left to deal with the consequences alone while coping with isolation and others’ judgment. Both of these women’s experiences relate to The Socially Prescribed Obligations of Womanhood, as both feel trapped by others’ expectations.

Alice’s miscarriage is not revealed until the end of the story, but is foreshadowed and hinted at throughout the family’s summer. When the family arrives in Awago, Alice is already tense, and when Evan pressures her to relax, she becomes even more irritated. It is immediately clear that she does not want to be there, though it is not yet known why. Over the first couple of weeks, Alice refuses to even go near the beach, and does not tell Rose why. Rose feels neglected as a result, and this feeling slowly builds over the summer. Alice eventually relents and comes to the beach, but does not want to swim, and when Uncle Daniel tries to pull her in, she pushes him. In this moment, the full extent of her trauma becomes clear. Afterward, Alice and Evan argue more, and Evan leaves for the city for a few days to get some space. Evan’s absence upsets Rose, as she counts the days he is gone and pines for his return. She eventually explodes at her mother and accuses her of being a bad parent: “Dad’s happy with just me. You don’t even WANT to be happy” (229). When Rose considers the future, she wants to have “One. Perfect. Baby” (80) because she wants to prove that she is capable of being happy with one child, unlike her mother. Underneath Rose’s anger is a feeling of betrayal at Alice’s fixation on her unborn child. Still, the story is nuanced and it is important to note that no party is completely at fault: The Wallace family’s turmoil is the result of both Alice’s difficulty in asking for help and the family’s inability to provide help (and their general frustration).

Jenny is a teenager who lives at Awago Beach and becomes pregnant by her boyfriend Duncan, the teenage clerk at Brewster’s. She has a confident air that fools others into thinking she’s tough, but it soon becomes clear that she is deeply affected by Duncan’s neglect and the thought of raising a baby alone. Jenny also experiences harsh judgment from those around her and is bullied at her job. Rose gossips about Jenny behind her back, calling her a “slut” (239) and believing she deserves whatever suffering she experiences. Jenny tries to communicate with Duncan multiple times to no avail, and when Duncan implies that she might have cheated on him, she becomes overwhelmed and attempts to end her life by drowning in the lake. This horrific event acts as the novel’s climax and brings together the pain of Alice and Jenny into one moment. Although Alice has avoided the water all summer, she dives in without hesitation to save Jenny. Afterward, Alice is able to smile again, as if the experience has reinvigorated her appreciation for life; Jenny is last seen in a hospital bed, holding the hand of who appears to be her mother. While doing so can be difficult, both women are left in a place where they are alive and can work through their struggles with others’ support.