Josh Michael’s arrogance and ego are shattered when he realizes he can’t save the life of a child. He’s the god of the
beach, envied by old men, lusted after by young girls; he has everything. But when little Becky Spencer is choking to death, Josh realizes he’s completely helpless and nothing he has can save her. He’s done what he’s been trained to do if someone is drowning, but Becky is choking to death on land, and he has no idea how to save her life. Shouldn’t he, after all? The beach is his kingdom, here he is large and in charge. Ric and Mrs. Spencer even tell him he should know what to do. Instead, Mrs. Lovenheim—the woman who makes him feel superior due to his false belief of her admiration—calmly walks up to Becky and performs the Heimlich maneuver; she does what Josh could not. His inability to save Becky’s life rocks him to the core. What does he really have to offer? He goes to see Mrs. Lovenheim that night to thank her for saving Becky and quickly realizes that she doesn’t recognize him. It’s at this moment that he understands he has nothing, and his composure shatters. His perspective on himself changes, and he never looks at the beach the same way again.
I suppose Mary Morris makes us ask ourselves: What do we truly have to offer if a situation arises like that of Becky Spencer? Because good looks and charm are all well and good, but they are fleeting. Teenagers certainly don’t think of anything but these things because they have had no experience. Josh believes that Mrs. Lovenheim is attracted to him; it is only after Becky’s incident that he sees she was truly just grieving and nursing a broken heart from the loss of her children and her abandonment by her husband. Every teenager at some point in their lives has their illusions shattered. It’s at this moment that every teenager thinks, “Oh, this is life. This is what matters.” The same can be said of adults. Ric spends his time reminiscing with Josh about his former days as a lifeguard, and his feelings of being stuck in a life he doesn’t want. His daughter almost dying changes his perspective. Appreciate what you have, because in an instant you could lose something precious. Or in Josh’s case, you realize you have nothing at all.
Good point mentioning the observations and narrow perspective that teenagers can have, and how their view of the world can be much different than things are in actuality. I enjoyed reading your post!