As we near the end of the school year, I can't help but think of one of Jason's more profound thoughts in Black Swan Green, that in every ending there is also a beginning. I believe this sentiment to be very applicable to the ending (and beginning) of Sag Harbor. The Labor Day Party in Sag has long symbolized the end of summer, to the point that many of the gang are not even there. As Benji looks on at the children's Olympics, he notices that the winner of one of the many races is named "Little Clive", which surprises him. The fact that there are and will be new generations of groups similar to his is a common trope of coming-of-age. That after you have come of age, you will be replaced and soon someone like you will come of age as well.
As he notices that there are younger versions of himself, Clive, Bobby, etc., Benji also becomes aware of the fact that there must be older versions of the group as well. He can only wonder if they are in college, in the city, or in Sag with him, which leads him to similarly wonder where he will be when he becomes too old to come down to Sag with his parents. Maybe they were a part of Elena's group, or maybe they were even older, but the fact remains that they were still there.
This notion and the entire premise of the book really hit home for me. I, like Benji, visit the beach (in Southern California however) every year with my entire extended family on my mom's side (although I don't stay for three months). My mom's family has been going to the same beach since the 80's, back before there were any cousins (referring to me and my cousins). Now, many of my cousins have kids or are married, as the majority of them are a fair amount older than me. Seeing their kids grow up from year to year reminds me of myself as a young child going there. As I'm much younger than my cousins, my life is also reflected in those of my older cousins. Like the community in Sag, as my cousins go to college and get jobs, many of them can only come down to the beach for a few days (which is doable for most of them as they live at most a few hours away). As I age, and I see my siblings age, I can only wonder how often we will continue to come. Will we still carve out time for vacation or be swept up in school? I think that many of us could see ourselves reflected in Benji's summer life and can see echoes of his thoughts even at school.
