The ocean

The ocean is a symbol of death and eternal return in the novel. This symbol is first introduced as Simon and his friends stand before the ocean on their surfing excursion: "they survey that dark expanse where the only rhythm is the roar of the crashing waves, that din made by the final collapse" (5). The words "dark expanse" and "final collapse" imply death, and shortly after this description the boys get into the accident that kills Simon. Later, the sound of the ocean is played for Simon on the iPod when his heart is stopped, at Marianne's request, and the narrator describes the "scraping of the seafloor, stirring up the layers of sediment and shaking the alluvium, uncovering fossils and overturning treasure chests" and how "the wave lifts up the earth's skin, digging into memory and turning it over, regenerating the soil where Simon Limbres...