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we know what everyone is thinking
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Mother: "she was deetermined to be niether possessive nor lacking
in devotion"
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"She went off worrying to her beach"
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"She was ready for a battle of wills"
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Jerry: "...he looked at the wild bay and crowded beach he knew
so well"
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"Now. Now. It must be now." shows his pestering insistence
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Local Boys: "They looked down on him gravely, frowning"
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"When they realized he was a foreigner, they proceeded to
forget him"
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Symbols:
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The Wild Bay: symbolizes adventure, recklessness,
danger, and separation.
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By going here, Jerry begins his journey to independence from his
mother
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The Safe Bay: symbolizes familiarity,
security, and even complacency
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As long as he stays here, Jerry is dependent on his mother
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she is still his protector
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The local boys: Jerry believes them to
be "men"
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symbolize what Jerry must one day become
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Jerry's reaction to their swimming (waggling his ears, calling
nonsensical French words) emphasizes the difference between the
boys and him
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The Tunnel: rebirth and rite of passage
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once he discovers the tunel, Jerry realizes he can become a "man"
like the local boys (especially if he can swim through it like they
did)
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The passage (rite of passage) symbolizes his "rebirth"
into manhood
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