Eng 101 - Coming of Age in Skookumchuck Bay

Allison Smith

Professor Marcia Woodard

English 101

20 May 2016

Coming of Age in Skookumchuck Bay

Who doesn’t reminisce over their teenage years? Knocky knees, oversized feet and hands, unstable gait, body aches from growth spurts, hormones raging, emotions and relationships invariably fluctuating? It’s a time we all seem to both cherish and loathe. You had your highest moments, your first experiences. Learning about yourself, trying on and exploring other traits, characteristics, personas. But also, your first fails, your mishaps. You learn what really makes you tick, what activities you enjoy, not just those you were signed up for by your parents as a kid. The highs and lows, the pressures, the changes, the ever-shifting social scenery and exposure. This all makes for a tumultuous, bewildering, yet thrilling time in your life. Most have one summer, or a specific time period that is considered a major turning point in their coming of age, where you begin to find your voice, what makes you tick, your sense of self. For Miles, the main character in “The Highest Tide,” the summer he was thirteen was his time. A teenager in a small town on the Puget Sound, is exposed to love, new friendships, family strain and changes, as well as significant evolvements in himself, that lead to remarkable growth.  In “The Highest Tide” by Jim Lynch, the use of imagery, mood, and figurative language are blended to convey an intelligent teenage boy struggling with the difficulties, complexities, and fears of growing up, concurrently demonstrated through changes that occur at Skookumchuck Bay, where he resides.

Dominantly throughout the story, imagery is used and fluently depicts the combination of nature and Miles’ personality and mentality, as it morphs and grows throughout the summer. While we are introduced to Miles’ character, he states “… tides aren’t news. They don’t crash like floods or exit like rivers. They operate beyond the fringe of most attention spans” (Lynch 1-2). It’s immediately evident Miles’ understanding and maturity span far beyond the typical thirteen year old. His love and draw to the sea are surprising, endearing, and mesmerizing. The reader can’t help but compare himself to the mentality of Miles, realizing that he does not have the typical education, maturity, and thought process that an average thirteen year old has. Typically, one would easily agree, “Telling a teenager the facts of life is like giving a fish a bath” (Glasow). Their ability to listen, comprehend, and process recommendations, suggestions, or any other life lessons is far more arduous than one would like. However, Miles seems to soak in much of what is taught to him by his mentors, and his environment. He can comprehend what is healthy, who and what are positive and negative influences for him, and how he can continue to further himself. As Miles is exploring the beach, he remarks, “It was two-fifteen A.M., an hour before the lowest night tide of the summer with an albino moon so close and bright it seemed to give off heat” (Lynch 3). Miles’ description of the night is captivating, you would never imagine such a striking comment from a young teenager describing the night. The reader becomes enveloped and increasingly intimate with Miles’ character. You feel as though you are perceiving the world and life through an independent and inquisitive teenagers mind, witnessing and learning different aspects and tendencies of the Sound. The use of imagery by the author creates an intimate bond of the reader with Miles’ character, helping us to understand his level of maturity and intelligence.