One Day When We Were Young
...g for other things to do. Their new occupation marks a defining moment in their lives; they decide to spy on some girls. The boys are met by a sight that forever changes their lives: “in the heat of the sun the four girls had removed their dresses and were lying on the grass in their underwear making daisy chains. Their arms and legs gleamed stark and white against the greenness of the foliage…” (Ll. 35-38) Afterwards, the boys compare this sight with what they can see at the Blue Ponds. There they can see much more of the girls’ bodies, but they agree that it is not the same. It is very clear now that the girls have gone from being annoying little sisters to suddenly being exciting creatures. The same evening, Mikey still thinks about the girls; especially one of them called Clara Jowett. Apparently he has to do something, because he decides to take his bicycle and ride it to an old ruined house called Lady Dane’s. From here, the symbols of Mikey’s transition are very clear. For him, the house stands as something mystical and dangerous and even forbidden. His father had always warned him against going to Lady Dane’s because it could collapse at any time. Now the danger is what attracts him. This is also a symbol of the first sexual attraction; it is something new and exciting, but at the same time forbidden and dangerous. Before reaching the house he has to force his way through the wild nature that has completely taken over the place where Lady Dane’s is situated. When reaching the house, Mikey wishes that he wasn’t alone, but it is not the Three Misquiteers he wants with him; it is Clara. At this point he is ready to give up his friends for a beautiful girl. Mikey’s situation is described very directly when he enters the house: “He knew that what he was doing was foolhardy, but the knowledge only spurred him on. It was as if a chasm had opened in front of him and, if he didn’t manage to get across to the other side, he’d be stuck forever in solitude, while everything else he knew and loved would journey on without him”. (Ll. 89-92) This is where Mikey definitely steps out of childhood and crosses over in puberty. He knows that it is crucial for his future that he completes this transformation, even if it means that he has to leave his innocence behind. When standing somewhere in the ruins he looks down on the ground where he sees a pair of lovers. This makes him fantasize that it is actually him and Clara who are lying there and not the two lovers: “In that moment he felt part of himself fall away with a whisper of regret that had in it the implication that it was saying goodbye forever…” (Ll. 117-118) Sadly, it doesn’t look like Mikey’s fantasy will turn into reality anyt...