Susanna at the Beach by Herbert Gold
"Susanna at the Beach" by Herbert Gold is a short story centered around an unnamed adolescent girl who is focused on perfecting her diving skills into the murky waters of Lake Erie. As she practices, a diverse group of beachgoers observes her, including a fat man and his friend who make lewd comments about her, an older Polish woman who critiques the girl's apparent lack of shame, and a pretty young girl who embodies the societal ideals of beauty but is too afraid to dive. The protagonist is absorbed in her craft, seemingly oblivious to a tear in her bathing suit that exposes her budding breast, reflecting her dedication and self-sufficiency.
The story contrasts the girl’s passion with the judgments of those around her, highlighting themes of youth, desire, and societal expectations. The reactions of the observers range from envy to moral superiority, revealing a complex web of emotions associated with the female experience and body image. Ultimately, when the girl becomes aware of the attention she has drawn, she chooses to retreat into the water, demonstrating her strength and determination despite the crowd's invasive gaze. Gold's narrative invites readers to reflect on the intersection of personal ambition and societal scrutiny in the life of a young girl.
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Susanna at the Beach by Herbert Gold
First published: 1954
Type of plot: Parable
Time of work: The 1950's
Locale: Lake Erie, near Cleveland, Ohio
Principal Characters:
The diving girl A fat swimmer Freddy , his friendAn old Polish woman Her plump friend A pretty girl on the beach Her mother
The Story
As an unnamed adolescent girl practices diving into Lake Erie, a crowd of people watch her on the beach. The girl concentrates so fully on perfecting her dive that she does not notice a tear developing in the side of the worn, black bathing suit that she is outgrowing.
One of those watching the girl is a fat man who lolls in the water talking to his friend Freddy about business; both ogle the girl lustfully, making remarks about "biting off a piece" of her. Other watchers include an old Polish woman and her overweight friend, who talk about caring for their parents and who criticize the girl for having no shame. Also on the beach is a pretty young girl with a junior-miss nose who hugs herself the way her favorite starlet does. The men are not interested in the pretty girl on the beach; they sense that she would fear to dive into the tricky, polluted lake water. Her mother declares, with some satisfaction, that the diving girl will get an earache because of the organisms in the water.
The diving girl has fled all the billboard schemes of a pretty girl in order to focus on a grand design: perfecting her dive. Although her exercises are simple, she has an idea of what they should be and she has the will of perfection. The men who watch her from the beach think that her self-sufficiency is a pity and a waste, and it makes them sad. The women on the beach envy her youth and devotion to her art, but consider themselves morally superior to her.
As the girl repeatedly dives into the murky water, the tear in her worn suit lengthens, revealing the side of her budding breast and threatening to show more. The girl feels the rip just once, but she is so intent on the demands of perfection that she closes the split with her fingers, then forgets it and lets it go. If she thinks of her body at all, it is only to think of her skill and her practice for her body's sake, for she is an expert.
Finally, the girl's breast is fully revealed, "its pink sprouting from the girl's body like a delicate thing nurtured in the dark." The old Polish woman screams, "You're nekked, girlie! Nekked!" and the fat man and his friend cheer her on. When the girl finally notices the observers, she is at first incredulous, then, turning from them toward the water, she runs into the lake. Thinking that she wants to drown herself, several men swim after her. However, although the "righteousness" of the mob's laughter urges them on, the girl is strong, skillful, gifted, and "encumbered by nothing but her single thought."