Themes

The main themes developed in the short story “Are We Nearly There?” by Kate Smalley Ellisare control and rites of passage to adulth…

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Control

The theme of control is explored through the plot and the characters of the narrator and her mother. In the story, Jen is a teenager who is allowed to drive on the motorway for the first time, on a family trip to her grandmother’s. Throughout the story, the author offers vivid descriptions of Jen trying to stay in control of the car: “There is a car in front now and I’m concentrating on its number plate, keeping exactly the same distance between R546 HUX and me at all times. We…

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Rites of passage to adulthood

The theme of rites of passage to adulthood is illustrated in the story through the main character, Jen. The story presents two experiences that are often representative of the passage from teenage to adulthood: becoming a driver and having sex. Jen is on her first driving experience on the motorway after she got her driving licence. The experience represents a test (a rite of passage) that will show that she is old enough and capable of driving on a long-distance route. Additionally, Jen had her first sexual experience the previous night …