Parents and children: the lack of understanding between the both sides
Jocelyn’s story is mostly focused on her relationship with her family and – as anyone can guess – it is not always perfect. Their main problem is absence of mutual trust. The readers will probably notice that Jocelyn, Uncle Raleigh, Aunt Bettina, and her mother, are not bad people at all. On the contrary, they care about each other, each in his or her own peculiar way. As the result, Jocelyn starts thinking that it is she against the world and there is no one to there for her. That is supposed to remind us that communication is the foundation of understanding.
Moving on
Mytris has been portrayed like a woman who is mostly defined by her illness. Joselyn doesn’t reveal much about her mother and – to the girl’s credit – neither does Mytris. The only things readers know about her is that she used to love summer, she has Lyme disease, and her womb has been removed. However, Mytris does manage to surprise us. In the very end, she finds a boyfriend – to her daughter’s utter shock – and even manages to pull herself out of starting depressing. However, the author doesn’t betray herself, Mytris’ family’s dislike of the man can be a warning that the woman makes a wrong decision. This woman is just like Yancey, the dog from one of the stories of the Stare We’re In, she keeps forgetting the painful parts.
Bitterness
Jocelyn’s bitterness can be understood. She is just a teenager who sees the world in black and white, always ready to criticize and almost never to analyze. This is the phase of life that is rather unpleasant for both a teenager and his/her family. As the summer approaches its end, Jocelyn matures a little bit. She stops assuming that she knows everything and even more about her family’s life and life in general. She feels bitter about lies, but it definitely helps her to realize that this world is not that simple, that there are no easy answers.
