'Summer People' analyse: Julians dilemma

‘’Summer people’’ is about a sixteen year old boy named Julian, who lives in a Holiday village called Sheringham it is more like a holiday resort. Which means that there are many tourists during the summer but in the winter the village Sheringham reverts to its ‘’antique state’’ (s. 1 l. 13). When the summer time comes, the three summer months May, July and August the ‘’Summer People’’ arrive to Sheringham. They shall stay there until September where the summer time is over. . It is only when summer time comes the village is lively and it is filled with people. Julian lives with his mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Holroyd. Julian don’t know what to do, He is facing a huge quandary about his future. Julian doesn’t know if he should follow his dream of becoming an artist or he should listen to his father’s advice and continue school? It is really a tough decision for Julian because on the one hand he is really talented at drawing, making art and making experiments with his art, it is just want he wants to do and he loves it. But on the other hand there is his father’s wish for his education. His mother and especially his father who is a newsagent-cum-stationer aren’t happy with his interest in painting and making art. They think Julian should continue his scientific career, although his mother tells him that he can always keep up his drawing and artwork ‘’as a kind of hobby’’ (s. 3 l. 96-97).But the parent’s attitude to their sons’ painting changes after they meet Miss Hoare. Mr. Holroyd, Julian’s father don’t like the summer tourist, but his attitude to Miss Hoare is different and he tells the family at home that Miss Hoare was staying at the most expensive hotel in Sheringham, Julian's parents are very aware of their reputation Sheringham, and it shows in the text, they like having afternoon tea at the most expensive hotel in the town ‘’in a rather ostentatious way’’ (s. 2 l. 36). And the only reason they like Miss Hoare, is because she is a stylish woman, she seems to be a fashionable, upper-class woman, she has scarlet lipstick on, has cropped hair and she wears ‘’clothes of a kind not generally seen in Sheringham’’ (s. 2 l. 40). Julian’s parents introduces him for Miss Hoare, although his parents doesn’t mean he have any chance as an artist and painter, and only because Miss Hoare is so rich and ‘’perfect’’ they think she can help Julian with his artwork, they set up a meeting so Julian and Miss Hoare can talk and Miss Hoare can help and give Julian advice with his painting.Julian did not take her serious in the beginning, he thought that a women like Miss Hoare could not possible take his art seriously or maybe he was scared of her opinion. But a while after they started to spend more and more time together. Everything seems to be great in the beginning, but as time goes by the reader figure out that Miss Hoare is an alcoholic.Miss Hoare borrows some of Julian’s sketchbooks, so she could help him. But she said it will take a day or more, because she has a friend visiting her. The friends name is Mr. Castleton.One day he goes over to Miss Hoare’s cottage to get his sketchbook back, but it was not Miss Hoare that opened the door, it was the friend Mr. Castleton, Julian could see on Mr. Castleton’s facial expression that he was not happy to see him. Mr. Castleton tells Julian that Miss Hoare is ‘’sozzled’’ (s. 6 l. 191), and gives the sketchbook back to Julian. But Julian does not turn around and go home, his eyes get caught by something going on behind Mr. Castleton, he looks closer and sees Miss Hoare in the background and she is very drunk.Julian gets really disappointed, depressed and sad when he discovers the truth about Miss Hoare. Because she promised him she would help him, Julian ‘’felt a kind of wild excitement’’ (s. 5 l. 164-165). And he loses hope in a way when he sees Miss Hoare drunk in the cottage. The story end with Julian tearing up his sketchbooks ‘’casting each fragment out into the swelling breeze’’ (s. 6 l. 201-202).The title ‘’Summer People’’ is a sort of a characteristic of Julian’s experience during the summer. It is about how difficult a choice can be, and about knowing the difference between obtainable dreams and unattainable dreams, which are possible to realize and achieve. And the story has a sadly ending. There are two themes in the story ‘’Summer People’’, choice of future, breaking dreams. Julian gives all hope up of becoming an art worker, that’s his dream break. He has a really big dream and desire of becoming this artist but he is maybe scared because he deep inside understand his parent and their opinion. He only wants his parent to be proud of him, as any child would like, but it is not easy when they are not supporting Julian. He doesn’t know if he should follow his big dream or should he follow his parents wish, to go to school. Because since it is his life, he should have the freedom to choose his own career. His parents tell him they only want the best for him and trying to help him out.