The story of Summer Essay example -- Literary Analysis, David Updike

The story of Summer, by David Updike, is set during that idyllic time in life when responsibility is the conk out word on anyones mind. And yet, as with all human affairs, responsibility is an ever-present and ever-necessary aspect to life. What happens when the protagonist, Homer, loses his awareness of a certain personal responsibility to maintain self-renunciation? Homers actions increasingly make him act foolishly, internally and externally. Also, how does Homer return to a sense of sanity and responsibility? To a degree, I would say that he does.At first, Homers control over himself seems strong he is only mildly aware of tempting situations. The reader begins to notice, however, that Homers mind is still easily swayed by that most aboriginal of urges - sexual appetite. The passage, Homer looked up. Through the screen he watched Freds sister Sandra as she came ambling down the path, stepping lightly between the stones in her bare feet, (293) is the first mild look of Homer giving in to a loss of control to his sensual appetite. The next case of Homers decreasing ability to control himself takes place on a tennis court. Throughout the game, the reader gets the impression that Homer was trying to get Sandras attention through talented athletics, On the tennis court she was strangely incorporeal to his heroics. (293) Towards the end of the tennis match, Homers eyes, once again, follow her as she is leaving, which leads him to double fault. This is the first time his decreasing self-control manifests itself in a somewhat harmful means namely, having hurt his score.Homer comes even closer to abandoning self-control during the night when he watches Sandra in bed. Homers decreasing self-control is beginning t... ...e of sanity and self-control. Given the chance to utter Sandra his affectionate lust, Homer withdrew his chance as one reads in the passage, exclusively to touch her, or kiss her, seemed suddenly incongruous, absurd, contrary to something he could not lay out his finger on. (296) Here Homer is becoming quite aware of the insanity which has driven his previous actions.Finally, Homers inner turmoil is laid to rest and his sanity richly returns as his affection is returned. At the very end of the story, as Homer and Sandra are sitting on a couch together, her foot comes into contact with Homers back. But to Homers surprise Sandras foot remained, and he felt, in the faint sensation of exerted pressure, the passive emanation of its warmth, a distant signal of acquiescence. (296) Homer still had a desire for Sandra, but it would not consume him as it had in times before.