Category: Coming of Age

Ethnographic research is aimed at understanding the main cultural peculiarities of the specific society with the purpose to understand their relations inside the society and with other cultures and societies.

Considering Margaret Meads ethnography, Coming of Age in Samoa, it is possible to say that dwelling upon that society she paid much attention to religion, education, upbringing and relation to each other within a family, the peculiarities of the temperament on the citizens of Samoan and the peculiarities of the development of the relationships of the adolescents between each other, their consideration of the surrounding world and other aspects.

Looking at the ethnographic research conducted by Margaret Mead, it is possible to say that the modern research should be conducted by means of using other methods and techniques due to the change of the situation in the world, political and economical changes, etc. Therefore, it may be stated that in comparison to Margaret Meads research, I would conduct my ethnography in Samoa differently nowadays.

Considering the possible techniques used for ethnographic research, it is important to remember the processual analysis discussed by Rosaldo (1993: 93). However, this is not the way for considering modern situation as the process is less important than the system which may be more informative.

Dominguez also believes that the consideration of the ethnography of the country is impossible without understanding the cultural peculiarities, legal aspects, social and political issues, etc. Thus, the system of the research should be implicated apart from the processual exploration.

Considering the problems which rise before modern Samoan adolescent boys and girls, it is important to conduct the ethnographic research using the systematic approach when different aspects of cultural and social life of the subjects are considered.

Before dwelling upon the particular methods for ethnographic research, it is important to understand which factors impact the development of the adolescents in Samoan and only then get down to the consideration of the Samoan ethnography. The current situation in the country is as follows.

The population in Samoan is reduced because of the migration of the country citizens to New Zealand, Australia, and the US. It is possible to predict that social and financial problems make people leave the places they were born and brought up. The very weak economy consisting of the tuna cannery (StarKist) is also influential. People want to have the financial stability, but its absence makes people change the place of their leaving and have other specific impacts of adolescents.

The country has a large service sector (tourism) and the public sector; and the unemployment rate is extremely high, raging from 25 to 30% depending on the region. Thus, it is possible to say that conducting ethnographic research and applying to different methods and techniques, it is important to remember about high impact of social and financial issues on the country development.

Conducting the ethnographic research of Samoan boys and girls I would consider the changes which have happened in the country for several decades. The changes have occurred and it is impossible to contradict this idea. Additionally, it is important to consider the sex differences, if any.

The consideration of the religious aspects is going to become the center of the research attention. More attention should be paid to language as the change of the language and the religious aspects may dwell upon the change of the impact on the nation and as a result the ethnography results may be interesting.

The changes of the attitude to religions and the language change may tell about the impact of another country on the life in Samoan. The ability to prove this aspect is rather significant for the researcher, thus, the historical documentation should be considered along with modern observations. The change of the territory density should be considered.

Thus, it may be obvious that the reduction of the population in one particular region may offer some particular reasons for citizens immigration to New Zealand, Australia, and the US. The language may be considered in the historical documents and compared and contrasted with the language used in media. The problems concerning the sex differences should also be considered as they may be important in understanding the social changes.

Coming closer to the discussion questions and trying to make sure that he correct strategy for research is used, the personal presence should be considered as the primary technique. Thus, being in the place which is going to be considered as long as possible should be one of the main instruments. The researcher is to observe the place having drawn some conclusions. However, the observation should not be considered as the most important aspect.

The researcher should make mapping, interviewing, and documentation as the primary instruments of the research. It is important to compare and contrast the results of the current research with the results of the research conducted previously or with the documents which depict the situation which was several years ago. The comparing and contrasting practice will allow the ethnographer to understand the changes which have happened in the society and as a result may follow the changes in the cultural and social spheres.

Focusing attention at one particular aspect, for example sex and the attitude to life, Margaret Mead tries to do all possible to consider only this aspect. However, living in the modern world and conducting ethnographic research under the current circumstances, it is impossible to consider the problem of sex from one singular perspective. It is important to consider the problem from different angles involving various situations and different aspects in its discussion.

Thus, while considering sex and the attitude to life in Samoan, it sis important to check social and political preferences, religious and family priorities, etc. It is important to understand that people are social beings and considering the ethnography of their lives, it is important to do it systematically as only the system may show the whole picture of the changes which have occurred and as a result help the research draw the correct conclusions.

Thus, the ethnographic researchers are to be conducted in complex and according to system. Having considered the Margaret Meads ethnography, Coming of Age in Samoa, it was concluded that the modern conditions dictate some particular rules for research conduction.

Conducting an ethnographic research devoted to Samoan adolescent boys and/or girls, it is important to consider the changes which have occurred in the society and try to apply those changes to others. Additionally, one should understand that in case the changes are too obvious, it does not mean that a thorough research with the personal presence should not be conducted.

Works Cited

Dominguez, Virginia. Invoking Culture: The Messyb side of Cultural Politics. South Atlantic: Duke University Press, 1992. Print.

Mead, Margaret. Coming of Age in Samoa. New York: The American Museum of National History, 1793. Print.

Rosaldo, Renaro. Culture and Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis. Boston MA: Beacon, 1993. Print.

Introduction

The Coming of Age in Mississippi is one of the most influential pieces in African-American literature born in the period of active fighting for civil rights, against systematic racism and segregation. It was written and printed in 1968 by Anne Moody, a Black civil rights activist, as a form of autobiography. The story takes place in rural Mississippi in the middle of the 20th century and talks about her lifes hardships from early childhood through school and later in her enrollment at the historically black Tougaloo College.

The story touches on numerous issues the woman had to face as a civil rights activist, facing systemic racism from white people as well as sexist remarks from her male comrades. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the contents of the story, its main characters, and reflect on the changes that have occurred in the past 50 years.

Story Summary

Annes story begins when she is four years old, enough to be able to think and remember things that happened to her. She, her mother, father, and younger sister live in a small plantation shack. Although slavery had been abolished many years ago, the living conditions for the workers did not improve much. None of the sheds they live in has any amenities. The only house in the entire village that has electricity and plumbing is the house of the plantation owners, the Carters. This image demonstrates the inequality still existing between the black workers and their white exploiters.

Anne describes the troubles her family went through. Due to a fire burning down their shack, difficulties with money, and other tragedies, father had left the family, forcing her mother to support the children on her own. She switched over six jobs in the past six years, working as a waitress and a maid. Children are often left hungry, as the money is not enough to pay for the rent. This part of the story shows the difficulties that black single mothers had to face during that period.

Being uneducated left only the simplest of jobs available, and the lack of child support forced the family to starve. Nevertheless, Anne excels in school, which serves to show that despite the hardships, black people are just as gifted and talented as everyone else. The people Anne works for are friendly, for the most part, except for her late employer, Mrs. Burke, who is a racist and tries to make things difficult for Anne, eventually forcing her out of a job.

In her teenage years, Annes life revolves around school, where she is very popular among boys, and home since mother manages to remarry to a man named Raymond. Although this marriage alleviates some of the familys financial struggles, it also brings conflict into the new family, especially between her and Raymonds mother. Raymond is a farmer, which exposes Anne to a plethora of problems with the black farming communities. The number of grievances towards the society, the privileged, and the white population in general boils inside of Anne, and finds an outlet in 1955, when a 14-year old boy is killed over whistling at a white woman.

I was fifteen years old when I began to hate people  she recalls her feelings about the event. Annes desire to join the NAACP (the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is what distances her from her family. It pushes her towards her father and his new wife. Her greatest fear during that time was described as follows: But now there was a new fear known to methe fear of being killed just because I was black.

Annes growing self-awareness goes through several stages, making her change her name as well as college, eventually enrolling in Tougaloo college, where she becomes a member of the NAACP. Her political thought transforms as well, as she bounces between violent and non-violent solutions to the issue of racism in America. She desperately fights for granting people voting rights, but in so doing, forgets about the needs and necessities of the regular people like Raymond, who is more down-to-earth and is having trouble privatizing his land.

The lack of results from her actions frustrates Anne, and she reminisces if NAACP lost their way and should focus on daily problems of the black community, rather than on distant concepts of equality and voting rights. The memoir ends with her, wondering if blacks could ever achieve equality in America.

Characters of the Story

The memoir covers a myriad of characters throughout Annes life. This section will cover the five most prominent personalities throughout the entire story. For example, Anne Moody is the main hero of the story; the events are told from her perspective. We learn about the hardships, injustices, fears, and hopes of the black people through her eyes. She believes in black rights and wants to promote equality for the people of color, which alienates her from her family.

Another character is Anns mother, who went through much hardship, which formed her view on life as inherently unfair. Having worked hard to achieve what she had in life, she is worried about her familys wellbeing and does not want Anne to participate in any political activities.

Although Anne has an estranged relationship with her father, they later grow closer as she is tired of her familys perceived cowardice. He is a flawed man but does not look down on Anne or anyone else for the shade of color of their skin. Annes relationship with Raymond is marred my many complications, including his romantic attraction to her. However, he serves as an essential screen to show the problems of black American farmers, whose issues were often neglected by the NAACP in favor of the bigger picture.

Moreover, Adlyne is Annes sister and is very serious and down-to-earth. Initially, she is not approving of Annes revolutionary spirit and dismisses her desire to attend college. As time passes, however, Adlyne learns to respect her sister and understand her motives.

Reflection and Expansion

Annes autobiographical story presents the emotions, hardships, fears, and worries of black rights activists of her time. Her frustrations and doubts are understandable, as the enormous racial and class struggle of that time was riddled with remains of fruitless attempts to change things, both violent and non-violent. The desperation, helplessness, and frustration go through the story like a red line. She doubts if actions of the NAACP were correct, and whether or not they have lost touch with the wants and needs of the black community.

These thoughts resonate well with the plight of Martin Luther King Jr. His intent was on winning rights for all black people rather than waste strength on a multitude of small battles that would eventually lose its momentum. He understood that equality of political for blacks and whites was paramount, as only then would the black community be capable of becoming a major political force and effectively defend itself and its rights.

Bibliography

Evans, Stephanie. Black Women in The Ivory Tower, 18501954: An Intellectual.

History. Boca Raton: University Press of Florida, 2008.

Hawkman, Andrea & Antonio Castro. The Long Civil Rights Movement: Expanding Black History in the Social Studies Classroom. Social Education, vol. 81, no. 1 (2017): 28-32.

Joseph, Peniel. The Black Power Movement: Rethinking the Civil Rights-Black Power Era. New York: Taylor & Francis. 2006.

Moody, Anne. Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York, Dell Publishing, 1968.

Introduction to Esperanza’s Journey on Mango Street

The novel, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros is a coming of age story of a young Mexican-American girl named Esperanza Cordero. The story describes the events in Esperanza’s life over a span of a year, in which she moves to a house on Mango Street. Although her new home is an improvement from her past residences, it is not the house she or her family dreams of and Esperanza struggles in her journey to belong in the society that comes with Mango Street. During her time on Mango Street, Esperanza learns to grow emotionally, sexually, and artistically from her experiences with the people in her life. She experiences the humiliation of poverty, the injustice of racism, and the beauty of poetry and music. As Esperanza goes through puberty and matures sexually, she becomes aware that most of her female neighbors are abused or oppressed by the men in their lives, which leaves her conflicted in wanting to escape her patriarchal society and wanting to be desired by men. Esperanza befriends a girl named Sally, who is very beautiful and overly sexual, but has an abusive father. Her friendship with Sally unfortunately leads to her most traumatic experience in the novel, as Sally leaves her alone at a carnival and Esperanza is raped. By the end of the novel, Esperanza still lives on Mango Street, but she has grown into a mature and confident young woman who is strong enough to leave Mango Street and its society behind. She is able to escape Mango Street emotionally through her writing and physically through education and financial independence. When Esperanza eventually leaves, she vows to return for those who are not strong enough to escape on their own.

Gender Roles and Sexual Awakening

From the start of the novel, Esperanza realizes that men and women live in separate worlds and that women are nearly powerless in her society. There is a continual conflict between being a sexual being and keeping one’s freedom, as most of the female characters are trapped both by abusive husbands and needy children. Esperanza comes to recognize this opposition as she is caught between her own growing sexuality and her desire for freedom. Esperanza comes to the realization that she must become “beautiful and cruel,” but she soon finds this impossible in the culture of Mango Street, as Sally is sexually manipulated by boys and Esperanza herself is sexually assaulted and raped. Most of the men in the novel try to take advantage of the women on a daily basis and the women rarely help each other. This is seen when Tito’s mother ignores Sally’s predicament with Tito and his friends and when Sally abandons Esperanza in the Monkey Garden and at the carnival. At the end of the book, when Esperanza imagines about returning for “the ones left behind,” she is thinking of the helpless women of Mango Street. Cisneros uses the contrasting gender roles on Mango Street to reveal the patriarchal culture and rigid expectations of women in the society Esperanza is faced to grow up in.

Esperanza at the beginning of the novel already understands some of the gender inequality in her society, but for now it is innocent and confined to her siblings. She explains that, “The boys and girls live in separate worlds. The boys in their universe and we in ours,” (Cisneros 8). For example, her brothers, Carlos and Kiki, do not speak to Esperanza outside of the house just because she is a girl. Esperanza can only socialize with her sister, Nenny, who is too young to become her real friend. She dreams of having a best friend of her own one day which is an early manifestation of her goal for her own independence. Furthermore, Esperanza takes inspiration from her family history to challenge the gender roles in their society despite their cautionary tales of stagnation. Martin in her critical article observed that, “In Esperanza’s family, mobile, autonomous women may attempt to live unbounded and unshackled, but they are destined to be tamed and remade as polished, delicate domestic ornamentation,” (Martin 64). This observation proves the continuous and repetitive behavior of the society in which Esperanza is born into. However, despite the past, Esperanza is determined to change her destiny and set herself free of this patriarchal society.

Alicia’s Struggle: Education vs. Patriarchal Traditions

A male-dominated society on Mango Street is shown greatly through the role that Alicia plays. She is a girl who has to do all the chores for her father and younger siblings because her mother died. She goes to college even though she has to travel a long time by train and bus to get there, because she does not want to be stuck in a kitchen or factory her whole life. She stays up so late studying that she even sees the mice come out. Alicia’s father says that the mice do not exist and that Alicia should be sleeping anyway, because it is a woman’s job to wake up early and make tortillas. Alicia seems to be very similar to Esperanza in that she is trying to study so she can improve her life, but she is trapped by patriarchal traditions that require her to assume her dead mother’s duties, to act in the way and do the work that their society traditionally believes girls should.

The Duality of Female Empowerment and Vulnerability

In their journey to grow up and mature into women, Esperanza and her friends try on high heels and are amazed at how long and womanly their legs appear. They strut around the neighborhood and a man named Mr. Benny warns them, “They are dangerous, he says. You girls too young to be wearing shoes like that. Take them shoes off before I call the cops,” (Cisneros 41). However, the girls ignore him and then the other boys and men make comments toward them, and a homeless man flirts with Rachel by asking her to kiss him for a dollar. Lucy becomes frightened by this encounter and makes all the girls go home. Lucy’s mother eventually throws the shoes away, which leaves Lucy and Rachel secretly relieved. The dangers of the real world is fully revealed to the girls here as they are viewed as sexual objects by those who have physical and social power over them. Sugiyama in her article discussing how female feet and shoes are linked to romance and sexuality notes, “However, even in a relentlessly patriarchal society, women have a power over men which only the aging process can take away: the power to sexually arouse. That that girls are at least subconsciously aware of the power the female physique has over the male libido…” (Sugiyama 11). Although the girls feel empowered and sexual they are also overwhelmed with the fear of being over sexual and being taken advantage of. For now, the girls can discard their sexuality as easily as a pair of shoes, but soon Esperanza will have to deal with truly growing up, in her male dominated society and the pleasure she gets from being desired by men.

Esperanza’s First Encounter with Workplace Harassment

Esperanza and her family both want her to find a job, because her school is expensive and they need the money. She finds a job that is easy work, which involves matching negatives with prints, but Esperanza is uncomfortable with the social aspect of the job. She is afraid to eat in the lunchroom with everyone else, so she eats in the bathroom and takes her breaks in the coat room. One day an old man who works with Esperanza offers to eat lunch with her the next day. Esperanza feels less nervous around him, but then the man asks Esperanza for a kiss and says that it is his birthday. Esperanza goes to kiss his cheek, but then he grabs her face and kisses her hard on the mouth. She experiences the violent side of her potential sexuality here, as her innocent kiss turns into an assault by the old man. Esperanza begins to learn the sexual double standard of her society as she is becoming a woman, and most women are powerless on Mango Street.

Sally’s Story: Beauty, Abuse, and Escape

Sally is a beautiful and overly sexual girl at Esperanza’s school who wears makeup and short skirts. Sally becomes an important figure in Esperanza’s life because she represents a sexual maturity that Esperanza finds intriguing. Sally appears to have retained her independence while still being desirable to boys, and Esperanza wants to befriend Sally and learn her ways. After getting to know Sally, Esperanza notices that Sally seems to diminish every day as she walks sadly home to her father. He tries to lock her away in the house because he is very religious and thinks her beauty will lead to trouble. Esperanza thinks Sally is a beautiful dreamer and says, “Sally, do you sometimes wish you didn’t have to go home? Do you wish your feet would one day keep walking and take you far away from Mango Street, far away and maybe your feet would stop in front of a house…” (Cisneros 82). Sally does not seem to be trapped by her sexuality, but by her abusive father. Esperanza glamorizes Sally and her lifestyle, and it is clear that she is intends to follow Sally’s path. Sally later confides in Esperanza that her father hits her, but she says that he never hits her hard. She comes to school covered in bruises and scars and tells people that she fell, but everyone knows the sad truth. Eventually, Sally’s father apologizes to her and everything is okay for a little while, but then one day he beats her so badly she misses school for two days because he sees her talking to a boy. Sally says how he went crazy and that he switched from using his belt to using his fists. Sally’s father is one of the most oppressive male characters in the novel, and that Sally is trying to escape her abusive father through her sexual encounters with boys. Esperanza still thinks this sexual experience is glamorous and she does not connect Sally’s horrible father with Sally’s need to escape.

The Monkey Garden: Loss of Innocence and Female Solidarity

One day Esperanza, Sally, and some other kids go into the monkey garden and Esperanza wants to play with the younger children, but Sally stays wants to talk to Tito and the other boys. The boys steal her keys and tells Sally that she has to kiss all of them if she wants them back. Sally goes along with their flirting and they all go behind an old car. The boys see no problem in manipulating Sally for sexual favors, and she allows herself to be manipulated because she is used to sex being her primary interaction and currency with men. Esperanza becomes very upset by this, but she cannot explain why. She runs up to the apartment where Tito lives and tells his mother what is going on and she just says she cannot do anything about it. Esperanza is upset about how the women of Mango Street turn a blind eye to male oppression. The boys and men are able to act as they do because the women do not help each other and when Esperanza does try to help, and puts herself in danger, Sally shames her.

Later when Sally and Esperanza go to the carnival, Sally disappears with an older boy and Esperanza waits for her by the red clowns. While she is waiting, a group of boys attack Esperanza. She never describes exactly what happens, except that once boy forces her to kiss him, but it is suggested that she was raped. Esperanza repeats that the event is nothing like what happens in movies or books, or how Sally said sex is like. She gets angry at Sally for abandoning her and then gets angry at all the women in her life for not preparing her for things like this. She lashes out because she knows that she is not strong enough to attack the world of oppressive men yet. Esperanza sounds very naïve in this section and it is clear that the traumatic experience has shaken her to the core. It is now obvious that Sally is not a good friend to Esperanza, as she again abandons Esperanza for a boy’s attention. The anger Esperanza directs at Sally and the other women implies that they are also responsible for such sexual violence when they do not help each other.

Conclusion: Esperanza’s Resolve to Return and Empower

The consistent struggle between being a sexual being and remaining an independent woman is faced by the majority of female characters on Mango Street as they are trapped by both their abusive husbands and their children. Esperanza slowly becomes more aware of the oppression of women in her patriarchal society as she grows into a maturing woman. Through her own experiences and those of the other women in her life, she learns about the exploitative and violent nature of men. Furthermore, the women on Mango Street rarely help each other in preventing and changing the social norms of their society. At the end of Esperanza’s story, she declares that she will return to Mango Street one day to help the powerless women she is leaving behind. Cisneros tells a coming of age story of female oppression in a patriarchal society through the life of a young girl name Esperanza who must learn to find her own way to independence with little help of those in her life.

Have you ever realized how strong a relationship can be, in this case, how a brotherly relationship could be? Brotherhood is the very price and condition of man’s survival – Carlos P. Romulo. In the novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and the novel Brother by David Chariandy both show a strong brotherhood bond that conducts us through the universal experience of loss through a coming of age. Initially, the bond allows the characters to rely on the other person. Second, the intense bond supports them to instantly get through the most tremendous struggle in personal life. Thirdly, an unfortunate event occurs in both characters life which conducts them to become independent. The novel, The Kite Runner compared to the novel, Brother displays how a brotherly bond powerfully affects each other through the coming of age.

To start off, Amir and Micheal in the novels constantly needed their other half to look over their life. In The Kite Runner, Amir was typically a shy kid, and he never stood up for himself or learned how to defend himself. He always had his “brother” Hassan to safeguard him and be there for him as he repeatedly stated ‘for you, a thousand times over” (17). Later in the novel, Hassan restates this exact line and runs off to get Amir’s kite which resulting him beaten and sexually assaulted by the neighbourhood bullies. Hassan’s promise to get the kite, and promise that he would do it a thousand times over proved he would never allow Amir to suffer. Amir never stood up for Hassan and he allegedly witnessed this specific situation, while Hassan would have done anything for Amir. On the other hand, in the novel Brother, Micheal obtained a similar situation to Amir. Micheal was, moreover, a sensitive kid he had his older brother Francis who would habitually be beside him and support him through everything. He did not learn how to stand up for himself. One day, Micheal really messed up and thought it would have been humorous to pull a prank on the school bullies. Which undoubtedly resulted in him getting brutally beaten, then luckily Francis came and savagely beat them up and stated: “never touch my brother, or I [will] beat the heck out of you guys again, NOW RUN” (35). After this Micheal always depended on Francis as he did not know how to protect himself and desperately needed his brother to follow and save him each time. Since Francis represented a faithful older brother, he was constantly watching after his little brother. Micheal takes advantage of that and relied merely on him. In conclusion, comparing Amir and Micheal both of the characters always relied on their other half and their brotherhood relationship helps defend their life.

Next, the intense bond encourages them to get through the most difficult struggle in life. Amir and Hassan have different ethnic groups: Amir is Pashtun and Hassan is Hazara. Pashtuns are Sunni Muslims and Hazaras are Shi’a Muslims. Due to how much Amir appreciated Hassan he desired to grasp more about him and “was stunned to find an entire chapter on Hazara history… The book said my people had killed the Hazaras, driven them from their lands, burned their homes, and sold their women.” (67). In this statement, he is prominently mentioning how Hazara people have been eliminated from Afghanistan because the Pashtuns were in democratic control of the country. Which did not abandon them from having a strong brotherhood even though Hassan was constantly bullied for this. Hassan would cautiously feel like he is unworthy but Amir did try telling him he is appreciated by him and his father “they do say whoever shared the same breast had a brother bond” (34). Likewise, Brother is a story of living in a society where you are unaccepted on the basis of your skin colour/background. Micheal and Francis are black which made it harder for them to fit in and often under judicial scrutiny. They experience pressure to act in certain ways to develop other feels comfortable. Foregoing your own comfort for the comfort of others is unsustainable and proves to be too much for one of the characters. But it was not one specific person dealing with this both brothers suffered together and overcame it, Francis states “I will always be there for you because I know you are a capable kid and under no circumstances will perform anything people assumer we black teens would do” (78). Francis is accurately explaining he recognizes people naturally assume black kids be undoubtedly doing the worst. For example, a local shop got robbed and Micheal lived near the shop and the first person they instantly assumed did it was him. Concluding, the brotherhood relationship is unbreakable, and they would do anything to not hurt one another.

Finally, the brotherhood separates and naturally allows the boys to become independent without the specific need of their brother. Once Hassan abandoned Amir, that lead to independence. To add one, once Baba had passed away, that was the fundamental reason that leads Amir to independence. Amir would not have anyone now to defend him which now he had to learn. Furthermore, when Rahim Khan called Amir he stated: “Hassan was taking care of the house for a friend, and the Taliban called him a liar made him kneel in the street and shot him in the head” (235). Instantly, this is where Amir realizes he needed to do something for Hassan because he had done nothing for him. Hence, he wisely decided to save Hassan’s innocent child and now Amir is carefully securing Hassan’s child. This proves how strong of a brotherly bond Hassan and Amir had. Identically, Micheal had to start being independent and know how to support himself. One day the act of violence transformed everything for Micheal. There were a tragic shooting and a police crackdown, which Francis became a victim of and passed away. This was the time for Micheal had sincerely appreciated what Francis had done for him. Thence, he went his possible way independently through to find out why the horrific shooting had occurred “Why did he have to go so soon, it [is] my duty now to find out what really happened” (178). He wanted to comprehend why his blood brother left so soon. Francis did teach him how to protect himself which throughout the novel he uses. Therefore, both Amir and Micheal contained a terribly unfortunate ending. But the deep connection between the brothers in both novels had resulted successfully.

In conclusion, The novels, The Kite Runner compared to the novel, Brother displays how a brotherly relationship causes an extensive effect on both people through the coming of age. First, both characters only depended on the other person. Next, the unbreakable bond allows them to penetrate the most complex times together. Lastly, a tragic event occurs in both characters life which heads them to overcome obstacles. Remember, “no guns but only brotherhood can resolve the problems”- Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Work Cited

1. Chariandy, David. Brother. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing, 2017.
2. Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Riverhead Books, 2003.

This book is about a teenager named Charlie who is about to start his first day of high school after dealing with the suicide of his only and closest friend. To deal with the anxiety, Charlie begins to write letters to a stranger his heard is nice and can trust. He meets two friends named Patrick and Sam who later become his best friends. Throughout his high school year, he has been taken under the wing of a great senior group. He experiences many firsts like his first love, kiss, girlfriend and his first party. By making a mistake Charlie is put in an awkward position. He loses all his friend but is able to gain back their love and trust. His friends are then sent off to college. Charlie is then hospitalized from a serve mental breakdown after discovering a family secret his kept repressed.

Character overview

Charlie is the protagonist of this story. As a child Charlie went through a lot. At a young age he lost his aunt who he was very close with. He was molested by his aunt which was discovered later on in the book. Before starting high school his best friend committed suicide. Charlie currently suffers from Post Traumatic stress (PTSD) leading him to also have depression and social anxiety. Charlie is socially awkward, shy, caring, smart, trustful, innocent and an introvert.

Patrick is one of the other main characters of the story. He is a high school senior who is very approachable, has a great sense of humor, outgoing, homosexual, goofy and lighthearted. Patrick is referred to as ‘Nothing’ by other teenagers in the school but despises being called that.

Sam is also a high school senior. She is Patrick’s step sister who is kind, rebellious, spontaneous and free spirited. In the past she has had a bad reputation with men. When she was a child, she was even raped by one of her father’s friends.

Character development

Charlie at the start of the book was innocent, socially awkward, very shy, reserved, passive and was always the bystander. Charlie started off as a wallflower. A wallflower is a person who is typically isn’t fond over attention, would be called shy and wouldn’t join in on dances or parties. By the end of the Charlie matures emotionally, physically, and sexually. Throughout the book he begins to become less innocent. His more open, leading him to be less shy and reserved. He started out as a bystander then became someone who stands up for others. Strong relationships to him and rite of passages have changed and matured him.

Relationships

Relationships can always have a strong effect on people in both a bad or good way and you may not even be able to notice.

Four of the strongest relationships Charlie has are with Patrick, his best friend. Sam, who is the love of his life. Mr. Anderson also known as “Bill” who is Charlie’s teacher and acts as a mentor to him is. Then lastly, his aunt Helen.

With Patrick having such a strong relationship with Charlie he was able to come out of his shadow and make a difference. Charlie use to be a bystander, he once watched a girl get rapped and did nothing about it. Then when he witnessed his best friend getting beaten up, instead of watching he chose to defend him. Charlie said in chapter four ‘I just couldn’t watch them hurt Patrick even if things weren’t clear just yet.’ Not only did Charlie finally stand up for once but even having Patrick as a friend has had an impact on him. Patrick was the first person to be nice to Charlie when he first came to school and become his first friend. You’re first friend in high school is someone you never forget. Along with your first love, which Sam was to Charlie. Charlie felt a connection with Sam since the day he met her. Even after a month of knowing her he knew he loved her. In chapter two Charlie said ‘I love Sam. It’s not a movie kind of love either. I just look at her sometimes, and I think she is the prettiest and nicest person in the world.’ Sam being Charlie’s first love was important to him because he discovered emotions he didn’t know he was capable of having. Mr. Anderson motivated Charlie to get out and do more and always encouraged him to participate, both in school and outside of school. From the very beginning Mr. Anderson knew Charlie was a very talented student with a lot of potential. He suggested to Charlie to go the football game and other social events. If Charlie had never listened to Mr. Anderson, he would have never met his two best friends Patrick and Sam. In chapter three Charlie stated that Mr. Anderson has made him feel like a grown up. When you start to feel like a grown up that means you’re one step closer to truly being one. Mr. Anderson allowing Charlie to feel that way, emotionally changed him and how he sees himself.

Aunt Helen has always been very close with Charlie as his not as close with his other family members. The day Charlie turned seven his Aunt Helen went to buy him a second gift. Later that night it was discovered she was in a car crash and died. Throughout the book Charlie refers back to Aunt Helen many times and how much he loved her. Being fifteen now he still carries the guilt of his aunt, feeling responsible for her death. After almost having a sexual encounter with Sam he pulls away not knowing why. Then he soon remembers the moments of his Aunt Helen molesting him after having it repressed from his mind. This was an overwhelming emotional moment for Charlie when realizing what his aunt had been doing to him. It’s a massive burden on his shoulders he must live with forever. This moment also taught him forgiveness. He stated in chapter four he forgave his aunt because he knew she was emotionally traumatized.

Rite of passages

A rite of passage is an important event or moment that has happened in your life. These passages are what lead you towards adulthood. In this coming of age novel Charlie is in high school where he experiences many rites of passages. He has his first day of high school, first kiss, first love, first ‘I love you’ (other than family), first date, first girlfriend, first physical fight, first time driving, first party, first time drinking and trying drugs. All of these occurred within only one year and no matter the child they can have a huge impact on anyone especially an innocent and shy teenager like Charlie.

‘I start high school tomorrow and I am really afraid of going.’ Said Charlie in chapter 1. High school can be a scary time for many students and its something all teenagers must go through at some point. At Charlie’s first party he was exposed to alcohol and drugs for the first time. In chapter two Sam tells Charlie she loves him, and she also said she wanted his first kiss to be with someone who loves him. ‘And she kissed me. It was the kind of kiss that I could never tell my friends about out loud. It was the kind of kiss that made me know that I was never so happy in my whole life.’ Said Charlie. This was an intimate moment where Charlie experienced his first kiss with the girl he loves.

During chapter three Charlie took a girl out on a date which can be a nerve wrecking moment for many teenagers. He also experienced having his first relationship with Mary Elizabeth and first breakup although he never truly liked her in that way. Later in the same chapter Charlie’s father sat down with him and he received the sex talk. Learning about sex is part of Charlie’s transition in high school.

When Charlie got into his first physically fight this was the moment when Charlie went from being a bystander to standing up for his friend. This transition is very hard for many people to make but Charlie was able to. Realizing when you’re in love for the first time can be a powerful feeling. This rite of passage is one of the biggest in my opinion. It’s when you realize the difference between a crush and being in love by how you act and feel.

Timeline

Here is a timeline of the story from beginning to end. Charlie begins writing to an anonymous person. He starts high school while dealing with best friend’s death. He meets his two best friends at a football game. Charlie attends his first party, has his first kiss, goes out on a date and officially become girlfriend and boyfriend. Lost all his friends by making a mistake in a round of truth or dare. Gained back his friends after getting into a fight to protect one of them. Charlie’s best friends graduate, and he finally expresses how he feels to his crush. Hospitalized for two months after mental breakdown from remembering the truth about his aunt. All his friends come back to visit him. Then the book ends with him starting sophomore year.

Conclusion

Charlie ended the book by saying ‘Tomorrow, I start my sophomore year of high school. And believe it or not, I’m really not that afraid of going. I’m not sure if I will have the time to write any more letters because I might be too busy trying to participate.’

His attitude the towards the world, school and himself changed. Everything that he had been through freshman year allowed him to mature in becoming a new person with new ideas and thoughts. Charlie is also saying instead of staying home, sitting in his room writing letters his going to be out in the world and participate.

Charlotte Bronte’s classic, Jane Eyre, is a ‘coming of age’ story. The main character, Jane, travels from the innocence of childhood through the maturity of adulthood. During this journey, Jane goes through the battle of education vs. containment, where she attempts to learn about herself and about the world. She must constantly battle a containment of sorts, however, whether it be a true physical containment or a mental one. This battle of education vs. containment can be seen by following Jane through her different places of residence, including Gateshead Hall, Lowood Institution, Thornfield, Moor House and Morton, and Ferndean Manor, where she is, finally, fully educated and escapes the feeling of containment which she held throughout the novel.

The story begins as Jane lives with the Reed family in their home at Gateshead Hall. Here, the theme of education vs. containment develops immediately, as Jane is kept confined indoors on a cold winter day. The other children (Eliza, John, and Giorgiana) are ‘clustered round their mamma in the drawing-room’ (Bronte: 39) being educated, as Jane had been excluded from the group. Jane tries to educate herself by reading from Berwick’s History of British Birds, but once again, she is held back from her attempt at enlightenment by the abuse of John Reed, who castigates her and throws the heavy book at her. In anger, Jane cries out, ‘You are like a murderer – you are like a slave-driver – you are like the Roman emperors’ (Bronte: 43). In this passage, Jane compares John Reed to a slave-driver because, like a slave-driver, he deprives Jane of her attempt at education and keeps her suppressed. Afterwards, Jane is blamed for the entire incident and experiences true physical containment as she is locked up in the ‘red-room.’ The room not only binds her physically, by its walls and locked doors, but also mentally, as it haunts her. The ‘red-room’ is where Mr. Reed had died. ‘It was in this chamber he breathed his last…and, since that day, a sense of dreary consecration had guarded it from frequent intrusion.’ (Bronte: 46). Nobody wanted to enter the room for long, in fear that the same ‘containment’ might be put upon them. Jane, however, was thrust into the room and feared that the she would be constrained by the chains of death the same way that Mr. Reed was. The events at Gateshead begin the ever present battle between education and containment in Jane Eyre.

Jane is sent away by Mrs. Reed to Lowood Institution, a boarding school for orphaned girls where the next battle of education vs. containment would occur. At Lowood, which was ‘surrounded with walls so high as to exclude every glimpse of prospect’ (Bronte: 80), Jane receives a scholastic education, but is very much contained by the strict discipline and lifestyle as well as the harshness of certain prominent figures there, such as Miss Scatcherd and Mr. Brocklehurst. Jane sees that here, like at Gateshead, the movement towards progress and knowledge is contained. She sees this as her friend, Helen Burns, gives a near perfect recital of her history lesson, ‘ready with answers on every point’ (Bronte: 86), but is still disciplined by Miss Scatcherd for having dirty fingernails, which she could not clean because the water had been frozen that morning. She sees that Mr. Brocklehurst takes part in this same restraining of progress as he reprimands Julia Severn, the girl with naturally curled red hair, and commands that her curls be cut off because he wants to teach the girls ‘to clothe themselves with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with braided hair and costly apparel’ (Bronte: 96). Ironically, his own wife and daughters ‘were splendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs’ and his wife wore ‘a false front of French curls’ (Bronte: 97). Through these examples, as well as, the scolding and false accusations Jane, herself, receives from Mr. Brocklehurst, one can see that the entire purpose of Lowood Institution is to educate but constrain. Its purpose is not to further these orphaned girls by truly educating them and giving them the same opportunities as everyone else, but merely to educate them to serve, not to amount to anything but an underclass to serve the wealthy. Jane will not settle for this as she tells Helen, ‘I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me; I must resist those who punish me unjustly’ (Bronte: 90).

Jane’s next battle occurs at Thornfield, after she has graduated from Lowood and has, herself, taught there. At Thornfield, Jane becomes educated about the more worldly aspects of life and she is actually an educator, herself, of Adele Varnes, the young ward of the master of Thornfield, Edward Rochester. For the first time Jane experiences the pleasures of love and caring for a man when she slowly falls in love with Rochester. She often daydreams of Rochester and the ‘hopes, wishes, sentiments’ (Bronte: 190) she has been cherishing. However, the strict upbringing that she has received constrain her education of love as she concludes, ‘It does good to no woman to be flattered by her superior, who cannot possibly intend to marry her; and its madness in all women to let secret love kindle within them’ (Bronte: 190). Lowood’s influence on Jane to be plain, to be an underclass to serve, holds true in her mind as she compares herself to Blanche Ingram by saying, ‘Mr. Rochester might probably win that noble lady’s love, if he chose to strive for it; is it likely he would waste a serious thought on this indigent and insignificant plebeian?’ (Bronte: 191). Later, it seems that Jane has found true happiness, as both, her and Rochester, express their tremendous love for one another. However, her further education of love is, once more, hindered by the strict moral code instilled upon her at school as she refuses to have anything to do with her beloved Rochester following the break up of their marriage with accusations of bigamy. The dreams Jane has the night before she flees Thornfield represent her containment, as she ‘dreamt [she] lay in the red-room at Gateshead’ (Bronte: 346). The feud between education and containment is very prevalent at Thornfield as Jane is now contained by her conscience and what she was taught to believe in her youth. As she leaves Thornfield, Jane summarizes, ‘God must have led me on’ (Bronte: 348).

This brings Jane to her next trial, at Moor House and the school at Morton. Here, Jane becomes enlightened in the spirituality she lacked at Thornfield. She feels that she has made the right decision by leaving Thornfield as she contemplates, ‘Whether is it better, I ask, to be a slave in a fool’s paradise at Marseilles…suffocating with the bitterest tears of remorse and shame…or to be a village schoolmistress, free and honest’ (Bronte: 386). However, Jane is contained from her spiritual happiness as she sees what a life of total spirituality and no worldly pleasures can do to a person, which is what she sees in St. John Rivers. St. John is a ‘cold, hard man’ (Bronte: 400) with ‘reason, and not feelings’ (Bronte: 401) as his guide, who is ‘inexorable as death’ (Bronte: 391). He is completely bound by his Christian philosophies and will not allow himself the pleasure of loving the beautiful Rosamond Oliver because ‘she would not make a good wife’ for his vocation of being a missionary, his ‘great work,’ his ‘foundation laid on Earth for a mansion in heaven’ (Bronte: 399-400). At the same time Jane has ‘dreams many-coloured…charged with adventure, with agitating risk and romantic chance’ (Bronte: 393) about Edward Rochester and life at Thornfield. Life on the moors has the opposite effect on Jane that life at Thornfield has. Here, Jane is contained from spiritual development by her emotions, desires, and love for Rochester. This leads to her leaving Moor House and returning to Rochester who now lives at Ferndean Manor.

Jane, finally, breaks away from her containment as she realizes that life with Rochester was her best option and that a life of total spirituality, like that of St. John, is impossible for her. With Rochester at Ferndean, Jane finds the balance between spiritual and worldly happiness, as Rochester, finally, ‘began to see and acknowledge the hand of God’ (Bronte: 471). Jane is an ‘independent woman now’ (Bronte: 459) as she has broken free from her constrains and is fully educated on life. The battle of education vs. containment has, ultimately, ended, as Jane has achieved happiness in every way. She summarizes her satisfaction with her life married to Rochester as she states, ‘All my confidence is bestowed on him, all his confidence is devoted to me; we are precisely suited in character – perfect concord is the result’ (Bronte: 476).

Jane Eyre, certainly, does come of age in Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel. At the beginning of the book, Jane is a lonely dependent orphan girl, but she battles the constraints of her harsh upbringing and becomes educated, not only intellectually, but socially and spiritually, as well. She develops into a strong, confident and independent woman. She neither has to give up her spiritual beliefs nor her normal human desires for love to be genuinely happy. Jane becomes the epitome of the modern woman, as she manages a perfect balance between both, the spiritual and the physical, which is what she really wanted in life.

Works Cited and Consulted

1. Beaty, Jerome. Misreading Jane Eyre. Columbus: Ohio State UP, 1996.
2. Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1991
3. Bronte, Charlotte. ‘Charlotte Bronte’s Letters’. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1971.
4. Dowta, Dr. Allyson. Women and the Written Word. Trenton: Prentice Hall, 1992.
5. Fraser, Rebecca. The Brontes. 1st ed. New York: Crown Publishers, 1988.
6. Gates, Barbara Timm, ed. Critical Essays on Charlotte Bronte. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1990.
7. Jane Eyre. Dir. Franco Zeffirelli. Perf. William Hurt, Charlotte Gainsborough, and Anna Paquin. 1996
8. Jane Eyre. Dir. Julian Aymes. Perf. Timothy Dalton, Zelah Clarke. 1983

Jane Eyre, from the innocence of childhood to mature adulthood. During this travelling, Jane Eyre experiences the education and full of blows, she tries to understand herself. However, she must constantly struggle with some form of containment, whether it is truly physical or mental. This struggle can be seen in Jane eyre’s different experiences. Such as in lowood college, Moor house, and Ferndean Manor. She received a full education at the Manor. Jane eyre finally found her own salvation.

The story begins when Jane Eyre and the Reeds live at Gateshead Hall. Jane was shut up at home on a cold winter’s day. The other children gathered around their mothers in the living room to receive their education, because Jane Eyre was excluded from the group of children. Jane is trying to read the history of British birds Berwick to education herself, but once again, she was stopped by John reed’s abuse. He sternly scolded her, and threw the heavy books to her. Jane cries out, ‘You are like a murderer, you are like a slave-driver, you are like the Roman emperors’ (page 32）In this case, Jane Eyre compares John to a slaveholder. That deprived Jane of her education and oppressed her. Afterwards, Jane is blamed for the whole incident and experiences a real physical containment. She is locked in the ‘red house’.The room bound her not only physically through walls and locked doors, but also spiritually.The red house was the place where Mr. Reed died. From that day on, a dull sense of dedication has protected it from constant encroachment.’No one wants to enter the room for long because they fear the same ‘containment’ will befall them.However, Jane is pushed into the room, fearing that she will be bound by the chains of death like Mr. Reed.The gateshead incident sparked the battle between education and containment in Jane eyre.

Jane eyre was sent to lowood school later, there is a boarding school for girls.In lowood ‘Surrounded with walls so high to exclude every prospect’. Jane eyre is educated in there where there are very strict odds and lifestyles.Jane eyre felt like she was at gateshead, where knowledge was limited. Mrs. Scatcherd punish her for getting her fingernails dirty because she couldn’t clean them because of the water that had frozen at the morning. Jane sees that Mr.Brocklehurst reprimands Julia who with the naturally curled hair. He commands her cut the hair because he wants they know ‘To clothe themselves with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with braided hair and costly apparel'(Page 87), but his wife and daughter was’ decked out in velvet, silk and fur’. Their purpose is not truly educating them and giving them the same opportunities as everyone. They educate them to serve the rich. Jane will not be satisfied with this. She told Helen ‘ ‘I must dislike those who, whatever I do to please them, persist in disliking me; I must resist those who punish me unjustly’ ( Page: 89).

Then Jane goes to Thornfield after she has graduated from Lowood/ At Thornfield, She becomes educated about aspects of life . She becomes an educator of Adele Varens, Edward Rochester’s master. It’s the first time of Jane to caring for a man. Then she falls in love with Rochester. Jane often dreams of Rochester and she has been cherishing ‘hopes, wishes, sentiments’. However, Jane has received constrain her education of love as she know ‘It does good to no woman to be flattered by her superior, who cannot possibly intend to marry her; and it’s madness in all women to let secret love kindle within them’. Jane compare herself to Blanche and said, ‘Mr. Rochester might probably win that noble lady’s love, if he chose to strive for it; is it likely he would waste a serious thought on this indigent and insignificant plebeian?’ Then Jane seems that she has found a true love with Rochester, they love each other. However, her education of love failed once again. Jane cant marriage with Rochester because they can’t break up of their marriage with accusations of bigamy. So Jane decides to leave the manor. Before she leave the manor, Jane dreams that ‘She lay in the red-room at Gateshead’. When she leaves the manor, Jane said, ‘God must have led me on’ .

Then the next journey is at Moor House. Jane becomes great insight at Morden school. She thinks that she has made a right decision by leaving the manor. She lost in thought that ‘Whether is it better, I ask, to be a slave in a fool’s paradise at Marseilles…suffocating with the bitterest tears of remorse and shame…or to be a village schoolmistress, free and honest'( Page 352). However, Jane was bound by her spiritual happiness because she saw the impact of a totally spiritual life and worldly happiness on other guy. That is what she sees in St. John Rivers. At the same time Jane has ‘dreams many-coloured…charged with adventure, with agitating risk and romantic chance’ (Bronte: 391) about their life at Thornfield with Rochester. There is a different life on the moors . It has the opposite effect on Jane when she lives at Thornfield. Jane’s feelings, desires and emotions for Rochester that limit her spiritual development. That leads her leaving the Moor House and returning to the Manor.

Jane is finally freed from her bondage because she realizes that a life with rochester is her best choice, and that a full spiritual life like st. John’s is impossible for her. Jane is an ‘independent woman’ right now because she has been freed from bondage and fully educated in life.The war of education and containment was finally over, and Jane was happy by the way. She thinks that her satisfaction with her life married to Rochester. She said All my confidence is bestowed on him, all his confidence is devoted to me; we are precisely suited in character – perfect concord is the result’ (Page 466).

Jane Eyre certainly dose coming of age in this classic novel, from the innocence of childhood to mature adulthood. At the beginning of the story, Jane is a poor lonely girl, she fight the constraints of her upbringing and becomes educated. Jane Eyre certainly dose coming of age in this classic novel, from the innocence of childhood to mature adulthood. At the beginning of the story, Jane is a poor lonely girl, she fight the constraints of her upbringing and becomes educated. She grow up to a strong and independent woman. She didn’t give up. Jane became the epitome of the modern woman that she striking the perfect balance between mind and body she really wanted in life.

Harper Lee makes use of the children’s changing perception of Boo Radley to bring the two parts of the novel together, establishing the overall theme of “coming of age.” In the first part of the novel, Jem and Scout gullibly trust wild neighborhood gossip about Boo, believing him to be a vicious lunatic, who stabbed his own father with scissors and “dined on raw squirrels” (14). Not only are the children terrified of Boo, but they are also fascinated with the thrill and suspense his mysterious lifestyle holds, driving them to enact plays that depict him as a dangerous monster. Their childhood innocence keeps them in their own world of fantasy, where they enjoy the thrill of games that revolve around Boo, for instance, being dared to “go up and touch the house” (15). However, as the plot unfolds, the children’s perspective of Boo gradually changes from one of fear to one of compassion and sympathy, as they are forced to face the reality of their harsh world. When the tree hole in which Boo would place small gifts for them is suddenly filled with cement, Jem and Scout immediately become suspicious, prompting them to discover more about Boo’s past. Having gotten in trouble with the police in his adolescence, Boo Radley was locked up in his house by his cruel father, which inspired many false rumors about him in society. However, Boo makes his first attempt at communicating with the outside world after fifteen years through the tree hole, which the children discover is filled by Mr. Nathan Radley. When questioned about his motive behind filling the tree hole, Mr. Radley proclaims that the “tree’s dying,” despite the fact that “it ain’t even sick” (71). The discovery of Boo’s tragic imprisonment sets the children’s transition from innocence to maturity in motion as they become aware of a real danger in the world they live in and sympathize with Boo for having suffered so much in his life. Throughout Part One of the novel, Boo shows other acts of kindness that make him seem less of a monster and more like a friend to the children; whether it be draping a blanket on Scout to protect her from the cold when Mrs. Maudie’s house catches fire or mending Jem’s pants so he wouldn’t get in trouble, Boo establishes himself as a shy, caring, and compassionate man in the children’s eyes.

However, the major turning point in the children’s perspective of Boo occurs in Part Two of the novel. When faced with the harsh reality of Tom Robinson’s trial, Jem and Scout drastically lose their childhood innocence. In Part One of the novels, the children had a clear idea of what they believed to be good and evil: in their minds, Atticus and the citizens of Maycomb were the embodiment of goodness, while Boo Radley represented evil. However, with Tom Robinson’s trial, the children begin to view their fascination with the mystery of Boo Radley as a symbol of their childhood, or in Scout’s own words, “tormenting Boo Radley became passé” (114). Introduced to the evil institution of prejudice, the children’s understanding of human nature changes drastically, as they become aware of the coexistence of good and evil within every individual. When Boo Radley saves Jem and Scout from being killed by Bob Ewell, the children’s transformation into mature near-adults is catalyzed as they finally view Boo as a human, not an “unknown entity” (7). When Scout sees Boo for the first time, she describes how “his lips parted in a timid smile and my neighbor’s image blurred” (310). Initially viewing Boo as a mysterious, creepy figure in Part One, Scout’s clear recognition of Boo as a real person showcases her moral development. Upon his request to be taken home, Scout leads Boo to Radley Place, acknowledging how “Boo gave us…our lives…but…we had given him nothing” (320). By stopping to view the world from Boo’s perspective, Scout demonstrates Atticus’s grown-up “trick” of getting to know a man by “standing in his shoes and walk[ing] around in them” (321). “Just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (321) for Scout to identify the pure goodness within Boo, marking her transition to maturity. Thus, Harper Lee connects the two parts of the novel through the change in Scout and Jem’s perspective of Boo Radley from a vicious, insane monster to a moral human being who has suffered due to no fault of his own; their moral development from innocent children to compassionate adults is captured in their newly-acquired, mature perception of Boo, establishing the overall theme “coming-of-age.”

In this bildungsroman novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, written by Mark Haddon, the author creates the protagonist, also known as Christopher John Francis Boone to encounter many difficult family life situations, which force him to mature throughout the story. From the beginning to the end of the novel, Christopher experiences feelings of betrayal, loss, and fear. Once he has no choice but to face these difficult circumstances, Christopher begins to utilize many stress-related coping strategies, develop confidence in himself, and gain independence in his life. Although Christopher’s struggles still exist at the end of the book, he is responsibly accepting change in his life and developing ways to positively approach complicated situations.

To begin, the book opens with Christopher finding Mrs. Shears’s dog, Wellington, dead. This is very tragic to Christopher as he likes dogs and has a close connection with them. When the police are called to the scene and get too close to Christopher, making him feel uncomfortable, he displays his overwhelming feelings by hitting the policeman: “I didn’t like him touching me like this. And this is when I hit him” (Haddon 8). This action resulted in Christopher getting taken to the police station and receiving a “caution” from the police. Similarly, Christopher uses this approach to release his emotions another time in the book when he hits his dad. His father is upset about Christopher writing a book about the death of Wellington and yells at him. Christopher admits to the reader, “I do not like people shouting at me. It makes me scared that they are going to hit me or touch me…” (Haddon 4). In a rage, his father grabs Christopher and he, in self-defense, hits his father – twice. Christopher struggles with using his words when he is upset and cannot control his actions. However, nearing the middle of the story, instead of using physical force, Christopher begins to demonstrate some coping strategies that Siobhan has shown him at school. When he is alone at the train station, on the way to see his mother, he tries to calm himself while he walks along the tunnels, saying: “Left, right, left, right, left, right” (Haddon 154). This helps Christopher when he is frightened or angry because it has a rhythm to it. Also while at the train station, Christopher would often bark at people whom he found to be dangerous. This technique still “centered” Christopher out, but at least he realizes that it is better than hitting someone. Finally, Christopher found the train to London a very stressful experience. There were many people within a small space but he managed to handle his anxiety on his own by counting and doing difficult equations in his head: “… I made some of the coefficients large so that they were hard to solve” (Haddon 163). Christopher has grown throughout the story because he is becoming more aware of the coping strategies he uses and attempts to be less noticeable to other people.

Next, Christopher becomes more adventurous throughout the novel and, in turn, starts to gain more confidence when talking to others. In the beginning, he only went to two places, home and school. At home, he would talk to his father and Toby, his pet rat. When he was at school, Christopher primarily communicated with Siobhan, his teacher. He often describes how difficult it is to communicate with others because he has difficulties reading people’s emotions. However, once Christopher found Wellington dead, he knew the right thing to do was solve the mystery, like Sherlock Holmes. Christopher decides to push himself and talk to his neighbors: “I decided that I would go and ask some of the other people who lived in our street if they had seen anyone killing Wellington” (Haddon 34). This pays off for Christopher because he becomes acquaintances with one of his neighbors, Mrs. Alexander, who helps him later in the story. Christopher transforms from only communicating with his father and teacher, to branching out and slightly conversing with his neighbors, and then finishes the book speaking with strangers. He does often remind himself of “Stranger Danger” (Haddon 34) but realizes that the only way to navigate his way to London is to ask people for help: “… I made the decision that I would have to find out how to get to the train station and I would do this by asking someone” (Haddon 131). Christopher had to use calming techniques and intense concentration to complete this overwhelming task, but even though he exposes himself to the real world, he is successful with his task and he safely arrives in London.

In the same way, Christopher shows throughout the book that he is ready to become more independent. Initially, he depends on his parents for everything. He believes anything they tell him is the truth, including when Christopher’s mother supposedly dies. Christopher does begin to show that he has a mind of his own when he indicates that he is surprised that his mother could have had a heart attack, “Mother was only 38 years old and heart attacks usually happen to older people, and Mother was very active and rode a bike and ate food that was healthy…” (Haddon 27). Not long into the story, we uncover more examples where Christopher begins to stand up for himself: “I decided I was going to find out who killed Wellington even though Father had told me to stay out of other people’s business” (Haddon 28). Additionally, Christopher expresses to the readers his desire to become an astronaut. He thinks he would make a very good astronaut because he is intelligent and he likes to be on his own. Christopher says, “And I would be able to look out of a little window in the spacecraft and know that there was no one else near me for thousands and thousands of miles…” (Haddon 51). This proves that Christopher truly wants to become independent from his family and community. Finally, Christopher is extremely proud that he is the first student from his special needs school to have the ability to take the A-level maths exam and he believes that when he passes the exam, he can get out of his school and head to university: “And I can live in a flat with a garden and a proper toilet. And I can take Sandy and my books and my computer” (Haddon 221). Through all the difficult situations Christopher encounters, he finally realizes how independent he can be and how anything is possible.

In conclusion, Christopher matures a great deal throughout the story. He grows from a young boy into an individual who is ready to take on the world. Although he will still have to face many challenges in his daily life, he has built the confidence in himself to be able to handle these situations far better than ever before. He is familiar with many effective coping strategies that will help him to respond more effectively to change and he has earned the right to as much independence as he can manage. Most importantly, Christopher knows that nothing in his life is unachievable. 

In the heart of America’s sweeping plains and towering mountain ranges, the quintessential coming of age story finds its roots. It is a tale of transformation, a voyage from innocence to experience, laden with emotion, trials, tribulations, and profound insights. This essay seeks to explore the unique features of the American coming of age experience, symbolized by a child’s growth into an adult, a metamorphosis reflecting not only individual growth but also the nation’s core values.

The American Dream

The coming of age journey in the United States is often intertwined with the pursuit of the American Dream. Growing up believing that anything is possible with hard work, determination, and a positive attitude shapes the American youth’s transition into adulthood. The concept of self-made success permeates the cultural fabric and defines the rites of passage for many.

Family Dynamics

In the intricate tapestry of American life, family dynamics play a pivotal role in shaping the coming of age experience. As diverse as the nation itself, family structures in the United States reflect a blend of cultures, traditions, and values that create a unique framework for each individual’s transition into adulthood.

Family traditions often serve as the compass guiding young individuals through the tumultuous seas of adolescence. The values instilled in them by parents, grandparents, or guardians create a moral grounding, a sense of belonging, and an understanding of cultural heritage. Whether it’s gathering for a meal, celebrating cultural festivals, or adhering to family-specific customs, these traditions become cornerstones in forming identity.

At the same time, the American emphasis on individuality and self-expression creates a dynamic where young people are encouraged to explore their own paths. Balancing familial expectations and the freedom to pursue personal aspirations creates a complex but enriching environment. In this crucible, children learn the art of responsibility, empathy, resilience, and self-realization, skills that will serve them well as they enter the broader world.

As a microcosm of society, the family reflects the challenges and triumphs that await in the journey of growing up. It’s a safe haven, a school of thought, and a mirror reflecting what has been and what might be. In the American coming of age story, family dynamics are not merely a backdrop but the stage upon which the drama of life unfolds.

Education

Education is not merely a means of academic achievement in the American coming of age narrative; it’s an avenue for social growth and self-discovery. Schools are often the setting where youngsters form friendships, face their fears, discover their passions, and learn about the societal norms that govern the world around them. The education system, with its sports, arts, clubs, and academic challenges, is a microcosm of the broader American society, serving as a crucible for molding young minds.

Technology and Modernity

The landscape of the American coming of age experience has been profoundly transformed by technology and modernity. In a world where digital devices have become extensions of ourselves, young individuals are navigating a new frontier that’s both exhilarating and daunting.

Social media platforms, online communities, and instant access to information have expanded the horizons of understanding and connection. Adolescents can explore diverse perspectives, forge friendships across the globe, and express themselves in creative and novel ways. These digital avenues provide a sense of autonomy and a platform to explore identity.

However, the modern digital age also presents challenges. The pressure to maintain an idealized online persona, cyberbullying, and the potentially overwhelming influx of information can lead to stress and confusion. With its filtered realities, the virtual world can sometimes blur the lines between authenticity and facade.

Technology and modernity have added rich layers to the American coming of age narrative, redefining social interaction, learning, and self-discovery. This new era offers opportunities for growth and reflection but also demands a nuanced understanding of the digital terrain.

The Struggles and Triumphs

Coming of age in America is not without its hardships. Economic inequality, societal pressures, expectations from parents and peers, and the challenges of finding one’s place in a diverse and ever-changing landscape all contribute to the complex tapestry of adolescence. However, these struggles often lead to growth, resilience, and a deeper understanding of oneself and the world.

Successes, too, shape the transition from youth to adulthood. They instill confidence, create a sense of purpose, and lay the groundwork for future achievements. Whether it’s a hard-fought victory on the sports field, a well-earned grade, or a personal breakthrough in understanding, these triumphs are milestones on the road to maturity.

Personal Reflections

The coming of age journey is marked by profound personal reflections that shape an individual’s transition from youth to adulthood. These introspections are deeply unique, influenced by many experiences, relationships, and environments.

Personal reflections often encompass a complex interplay of joy, fear, excitement, and uncertainty. The joy of discovering one’s passion, the fear of failure, the excitement of new friendships, and the uncertainty of one’s place in the world are common threads in this intricate weave. Through these reflections, individuals gain a deeper understanding of their values, beliefs, and desires.

These introspective moments are essential in forming an authentic sense of self. They lead to self-acceptance, resilience, empathy, and a sense of purpose. Reflections on successes teach confidence, while those on failures provide wisdom and motivation to grow.

In America’s diverse and dynamic landscape, personal reflections are the inner compass guiding young individuals through the multifaceted maze of adolescence. It’s an intimate, complex, and transformative process that lays the foundation for adulthood and shapes the character and outlook of the next generation. The personal reflections of youth are the soulful echoes of a nation’s future, resonating with the timeless truths of growing up.

Conclusion

The coming of age story in America is a multi-dimensional, multifaceted journey. It is a story told through the eyes of millions, each with a unique experience yet connected by shared values, dreams, and challenges. This transition from innocence to experience represents not just the growth of an individual but the collective spirit of a nation that thrives on diversity, strives for success, and seeks continuous growth and understanding.

In a land where dreams are pursued with relentless passion, the family forms the foundation, education shapes minds and hearts, and technology continuously alters the landscape, the American coming of age tale is a profound reflection of life itself. It’s a tale as vast and varied as the nation itself, offering lessons, inspirations, and a window into the human soul. It is the essence of what it means to grow up in the land of the free and the home of the brave.