The Theme of Coming of Age in Literature
There comes a time is each person's life when they reach the point where they are no longer children, but adults. The transition from a child into a young adult is often referred to as the "coming of age," or growing up. The time when this transition occurs is different in everyone, since everyone is an individual and no two people are alike. Certain children reach this stage through a tragic, painful event which affects them to such extent that they are completely changed. Other children reach this time by simply growing older and having a better understanding of the world around them. The coming of age really is indefinite and cannot be marked in general overview. This stage in
life
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In addition to the different ways that culture celebrates the coming of age it is also one of the worlds most popular and beloved themes in literature.
"The Circus" is a touching story about a man's kindness and how the realization of this played an important part of his son's coming age. In Dan Clark's "The
Circus" , it is obvious how this young man realizes what being kind really means. Clark states that "We didn't go to the Circus that night but we didn't go without." (1995, pg. 4) quote demonstrates that the young man realizes that it is more important to be generous than it was to go to the circus. This was the first step of this young man's transition into the adult life. More often than not, the plot, characters, theme and conflicts in literature deal with the theme coming of age, are very realistic.
Yet another story is Gary Paulsen's "Hatchet" which is a story about one boy who must survive in the wilderness, with only a hatchet as a weapon. This is a story of courage about how one child was forced to transform into an adult in order to endure the circumstances surrounding him. Brian Robeson was stranded on an island, after his plane crashed down while traveling to see his father. He had no food, now way of communication and only a small hatchet to save his life. Through terrifying events, "Hatchet" is the story of one man's struggle to survive. It is obvious how Brian Robeson was forced to "come of age" or "grow
In a place flooded with war and violence, a school is separated from reality; living within the walls are the boys of the school, shielded from the ugly truths that lie beyond. During this time of adolescence, the boys are forced to grow and mature while the walls that protect them begin to fall. One boy, Gene, lives within this wall and matures into a young man during this time through many events and conflicts he faces. Through these events occurring, he is now able to withstand the violence of the world, war and trauma. This coming of age is demonstrated when Gene causes Finny to fall out of the tree, discovers the reality of war, and Finny dies.
The man was known as a drunk who after one fall had his face everywhere. The attraction of comedy and stupidity all in one, one that was in life and death, one that will later find him frozen in water. The story in where entertainment was given for the sake of fame, leaping is all he did and it gained him a crowed, one were those growing up hoped to become, and one where those wanted to have the same courage as he did. I’m surprised he didn’t add his whole family to the circus. He was Unmarried, no children, just a drunk who leaped for fame and got put in the newspaper for it. Lets not forget also cash, for the
Childhood is a time where children learn about the world around themselves. They see and experience many factors that influence their everyday lives, which help them grow stronger when they become adults. In 'Girl'; by Jamaica Kincaid and 'The Lesson'; by Toni Cade Bambara the characters within the stories learn valuable lesson with help them grow to become better individuals. In 'The Lesson'; the character of Sugar undergoes a realization that society does not treat everyone equally, that not every individual has the same opportunity and equality that they should have. In 'Girl'; the main character learns that she must be perceived as a woman and not as a slut, her mother brings to her
In the novel written by Harper Lee titled To Kill a Mockingbird, it is a story that revolves around two children named Jem and Scout and their experiences in a prejudiced town as they grow up and mature into young adults. They learn lessons regarding what the real world has to offer during a time of segregation. As they discover new ideas, they also manage to learn more about themselves. Lee utilizes imagery, direct characterization, and dialogue to express the recurring theme of coming of age, also known as Bildungsroman.
“The trick is growing up without growing old” (Stengel). The process of coming of age occurs in everyone's life. To mature doesn't necessarily mean to grow in a physical way such as aging but also mentally. One grows as human, from speaking to understanding, to transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. In the novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, Lily Owens experiences far more than what she should at the age of fourteen.
The Night Circus written by Erin Morgenstern depicts the tale of two lovers bound by a challenge that forces them to compete against each other. It was a romantic tale, from which the reader can develop a strong sense of emotion with the two lovers. In this novel, Morgenstern uses the character Bailey to demonstrate the ideas of love, passion vs obsession and standing up for yourself. Love is a very influential idea in the story, without it Bailey wouldn’t have taken over the circus. However, Bailey’s obsession with the circus makes him abandon his family.
In the novel A Child Called It, the author Dave Pelzer discussed his courage to survive while growing up in his household. The family was living the perfect traditional western family life. During the early years, the family does things together and the mother was always happy to prepare special meals, outings, and surprises for her family. When the father was working, the mother would take Dave and his brothers on special outings. The family would go on vacations which were fun and memorable for the children.
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The certain age at which this transition takes place changes in society, as does the nature of the change. Some coming of age experiences in To Kill a Mockingbird include Francis making fun of Atticus, Mrs. Dubose’s death, the narrator being in another character's shoes and the jail mob scene. Although, I will be focusing on the jail mob scene throughout this essay. Atticus leaves the house one evening and Jem, Scout, and Dill wonder where he is going. They go investigate and find him reading in front of Tom Robinson’s jail cell. Minutes later four cars pulled in front of the jail cell. The men gout out and ask Atticus if Tom Robinson is in the cell. They then
adult means, a person that is fully grown or developed. If a person at the age of 18 is able to
To Kill a Mockingbird has a ”coming of age” theme set to it through everything that the protagonists experienced. The events in both the book and movie impacted the characters in both fortunate and unfortunate ways, which made them mature. The youngest protagonists were the ones who mainly experienced this, for the older characters already went through their Coming of Age. Jem had the most Coming of Age experiences in the whole story since he was on the borderline of becoming a teenager and taking on more serious responsibilities. Jem had to take responsibility and take care of his sister when while his father took Calpurnia home.
Youth is defined as the period between childhood and maturity; an adolescent who have not fully developed. An adult is a person who is fully developed and is mature. Juveniles should not be tried as an adult because they are too young. Even though, some children believe that they are grown and can make their own decisions, they still are young.
The Reader happens to be someone reading a story to a younger child, and the child becomes
Have you ever wondered what makes someone grow up? It seems to be the little things in life that really make children ponder about life’s choices. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout has many moments that help the young child realize the answers to life’s questions and what she is expected to become as she grows older. Harper Lee’s many literary devices used throughout the novel help build up to moments of coming of age for young Scout. From pages thirty to thirty-two, Scout learns a lot of new lessons that help her on her way to growing up. When reprimanded by her teacher, Miss Caroline, she chooses to take her anger out on what she thought was the source, Walter Cunningham. This innocent boy is the son of a father that hardly provides
young adult is often referred to as the "coming of age," or growing up. The
As he grows older, his style changes and he sees the real world as it really is as opposed to his fantasies he had when he was younger. A major development in the story is the actual act of becoming a man. Boys his age have a festival for many days that lead up to their circumcision, after which they become men. After this accomplishment, he still writes about his fears and his thoughts but he is much more wary to keep them to himself. And as he grows even older he moves away from home to attend Technical College for four years. These years change him very much and when he returns home he is much more of an adult and conducts himself in such a manner.