The two young boys are part of the family of bathers that have set up near the narrator on the beach. They appear to be brothers and have very light, straight hair. They are chasing one another and bothering the others in the group – pinching them, tossing sand in their hair, and making obnoxious noises. When the man puts sand into the older woman’s swimsuit top, they all burst into laughter. This provokes the younger woman to start chasing the two boys. The smaller boy dives into the lake to get away from her, while the larger boy heaves himself over a bench. The younger woman follows the larger boy and jumps over the bench, too. Then the smaller boy sneaks up behind her and pinches her waist. She angrily pushes him down onto the sand. Their interactions are loud, messy, and chaotic. They intrude on the narrator’s daydream and cause her to confront the imperfections of the world around.
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Two Young Boys Character Timeline in A Memory
The timeline below shows where the character Two Young Boys appears in A Memory. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
A Memory
The nearby group of bathers is comprised of a man, two women, and two young boys . The boys look to be brothers. The older one is “greatly overgrown,” and the...
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...a “genie-like rage” she watches the man spread sand over the older woman’s legs. The two young boys run wildly about. Though the family do not speak, their attitude and behavior communicate an...
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At that moment, the younger woman gets up and begins chasing the two young boys . The smaller boy dives headfirst into the lake to get away, while the larger...
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