Was the ending of Pacific Edge a satisfying conclusion to the story? Yes, it wrapped up the arcs of most of the characters nicely, resolved the main conflict, and finished on an (overall) positive note. But was it a satisfying conclusion to Kevin’s story? No. In the very last scene of the novel, Kevin thinks, “It seemed to him then that he was without a doubt the unhappiest person in the whole world. And at that thought… he began to laugh” (KSR, 326). This ending leaves the reader unfulfilled, waiting for more. Waiting for a resolution where our character gets his big break. But this break doesn’t come, and even Kevin’s victory for the hill seems dulled by all the events that surround it. The quickness of how everything plays out in the last few pages gives the reader literary whiplash.
The ending is able to be both satisfying and unsatisfying because ultimately, the story is not just about Kevin. He may be (arguably) the most important character, but on a larger level, Pacific Edge is about the town of El Modena as a whole and about one possibility for our future. In the end, while Kevin may have experienced these misfortunes, the rest of the town ended up better off than before the novel began. The town gets to keep Rattlesnake Hill; Alfredo may lose the hill, but he gets married to Ramona; Oscar feels incorporated as a member of the community and connects with Doris; and even Hank gets an incredible game-ending catch in the softball game. Although there is a little bad, there is also a lot of good. KSR uses this juxtaposition to persuade the reader to look at the bigger picture. This suggestion that maybe we all have to look at the bigger picture in life—to stop worrying so much about the little things and start worrying about our planet’s future.
It’s time to start looking at the big picture (PC: http://elitetrack.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/bigstock-The-Big-Picture-Concept-36887548.jpg))
Works Cited
Robinson, Kim Stanley. Pacific Edge: Three Californias (Three Californias Triptych series Book 3). Tom Doherty Associates. Kindle Edition.
