The Immaturity Of Children In The Lighthouse, By Agnes Owens
762 Words4 Pages
The short story “The Lighthouse” written by Agnes Owens follows siblings Megan and Bobby on a not so ordinary day at the beach. After being deserted at the beach by their parents, Megan and Bobby set off towards a lighthouse far down the beach. The immaturity both children show causes tensions in their relationship, later resulting in Megan leaving Bobby. Upon returning to her brother, Megan suffers from the severe neglect of another adult and is victimized by a strange man, along with her brother. Through “The Lighthouse” Owens makes comments on the way children are neglected by adults. The lighthouse in the story is used as symbolism. Traditionally, lighthouses are built to warn sailors of the nearby danger of shallow water. The lighthouse in the…show more content… Another would be the stubbornness they present. The immaturity of Megan and Bobby helps create sympathy for the two characters. Megan in particular has a lot of responsibility for a ten year old girl. Not only does she have to fend for herself due to the absence of her parents. Megan also has to look out for Bobby who is only three years old. Megan does display care for her brother. “Megan was glad to see him in a better mood (Owens, page 92). Although she becomes easily frustrated with Bobby, Megan was glad to see he was cheering up a little bit. Megan almost seems like she is acting as a parent towards Bobby. She is worried about his well being in the end of the story. Her responsibility over Bobby makes Megan the only guardian figure in his life. In the end, Megan’s immaturity shows to be a factor on how well she can actually look after Bobby though, because both children are negatively affected by the man in the gray tracksuit. The author’s goal with this is to make readers think that no child is deserving of the terrible things that the strange man did to