Longing for Permanency: Adolescence in Ferris Beach

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Recommended: coming of age in popular literature

Security in Ferris Beach As Kate Burns goes through adolescence she slowly begins to realize that change can never be avoided, and change truly scares Kate. Naturally, Kate attempts to hold on to moments of security, where everything exists as she would like it. Kate desires permanency; Kate's constant longing to stop time and freeze certain periods of time shows this desire. Kate takes mental snapshots of certain times, and just cherishes and savors these moments. As Kate matures she begins to understand that life's little surprises always bring the unexpected, whether it be good or bad, and she must treasure the brief moments of security: I stepped into the middle of the road and just stood there, the lights stretching in either direction, glowing in the deep chilly air. I could see my own breath, could feel my own warmth as it formed right there in front of me. Behind me, our house looked dark, faint lingering of I'd walk a million miles, and I wasn't even sure if it was really playing or if I was imagining the familiar, the same way a bright light remain when you close your eyelids, the way I imagine that the sight of an eclipse would burn its image into your eyes forever(pg.75). Kate speaks of "the familiar," that is what this scene represents for Kate. The comfort of home is her familiar. Kate has the security that almost everyone desperately seeks as they grow old. Security that often eludes Kate. The image of Kate seeing her own breath and feeling her own warmth symbolize her health and her youthfulness. Kate has everything as she would like it. She lets the perfect image burn into her eyes. Everything that Kate dearly loves is set out before her in peacefulness: her friends, her family, and her health.

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