Literature Essay, Research Paper

The Theme of Coming of Age in Literature

There comes a clip is each individual & # 8217 ; s life when they reach the point where

they are no longer kids, but grownups. The passage from a kid into a

immature grownup is frequently referred to as the & # 8220 ; coming of age, & # 8221 ; or turning up. The

clip when this passage occurs is different in everyone, since everyone is an

single and no two people are likewise. Certain kids reach this phase

through a tragic, painful event which affects them to such extent that they are

wholly changed. Other kids reach this clip by merely turning older and

holding a better apprehension of the universe around them. The coming of age

truly is indefinite and can non be marked in general overview. This phase in

life is one of the most of import and most popular subjects in literature. The

coming of age subject is found in one of the one of the best coming to age narratives

that have of all time been written. Harper Lee & # 8217 ; s To Kill A Mockingbird is a sensitive

touching portraiture of a immature male child who grows up through flooring yet realistic

events.

Although many people are merely cognizant of the coming of age subject through

literature and other signifiers of amusement, there is besides a really realistic portion

to this event in a individual & # 8217 ; s life which is frequently ignored. The coming of age is

an event which is frequently celebrated in many different civilizations, through rites

or ceremonials. The rites, besides known as transition rites, mark the passing of a

individual from one phase of life to the following: birth, babyhood, childhood, maturity,

old age, and decease. The coming of age is celebrated along with birth, and decease

because it is known as a cosmopolitan life crises. Arousing anxiousness, these crises

frequently elicit transition rites. Arnold Van Gennep stated that & # 8220 ; Passage rites have

three stairss: separation from society ; inculcation-transformation ; and return to

society in the new status. & # 8221 ; ( 1995, Grolier Encyclopedia )

All transition rites serve certain cosmopolitan maps. & # 8220 ; They serve to

dramatise the brush of new duties, chances, dangers. They

alleviate break in the equilibrium of the community. They affirm community

solidarity, and the sacredness of common values. & # 8221 ; ( 1995, Grolier Encyclopedia )

In add-on, civilizations use induction ceremonials to tag the passage

from childhood to adult position. Rites for males are normally more luxuriant and

dramatic and by and large affect the community more than do those for females.

Among the African Gusii, for illustration, misss are at approximately age nine, male childs at

twelve old ages old ; Thonga boys may be 16. Boys rites frequently affect

privacy from adult females, hazing by older males, trial of manfulness, and genital

operations, including Circumcision. Girls rites are merely as bad if non worse

with things like remotion of the button. In some topographic points in North America, the

rite is single where as in Africa and Oceania the ritual can be corporate.

A field Indian stripling male child undertakes a vision pursuit ; he goes out entirely into

the wilderness, endures adversity, and seeks a vision from his carnal defender

spirit ; if he gets one, he returns a adult male.

Yet a different manner for these rites is group rites. These frequently

takes months or even old ages, as among many Australian Aboriginal folks. Novitiates

learn great measures of information and obey countless tabu. Teachers

are work forces who are aliens to boys. Ritual pulls the male child from childhood,

particularly from his female parent. He moves from the class of adult females and privileged

kids toward the privileged one of the grownup males. Such rites maintain

grownup male togetherness and strengthen cultural continuity. They resolve male childs

struggles about sexual individuality and set up clear attitudes toward male parents and

female parents. Such rites dramatize the power of older over younger males and province

that & # 8220 ; merely adult females can do babes: but merely work forces can do men. & # 8221 ; ( 1995, Grolier

Encyclopedia ) Such transition rites symbolize decease of the kid and metempsychosis as a

adult male, every bit good as male enviousness of females. Versions in modern Western society

includes spiritual, verification, fraternity induction, and military preparation.

In add-on to the different ways that civilization celebrates the coming of

age it is besides one of the universes most popular and darling subjects in literature.

& # 8220 ; The Circus & # 8221 ; is a affecting narrative about a adult male & # 8217 ; s kindness and how the realisation

of this played an of import portion of his boy & # 8217 ; s coming age. In Dan Clark & # 8217 ; s & # 8220 ; The

Circus & # 8221 ; , it is obvious how this immature adult male realizes what being sort truly means.

Clark states that & # 8220 ; We didn & # 8217 ; t travel to the Circus that dark but we didn & # 8217 ; Ts go

without. & # 8221 ; ( 1995, pg. 4 ) quotation mark demonstrates that the immature adult male realizes that it

is more of import to be generous than it was to travel to the circus. This was the

first measure of this immature adult male & # 8217 ; s passage into the grownup life. More frequently than

non, the secret plan, characters, subject and struggles in literature trade with the subject

coming of age, are really realistic.

Yet another narrative is Gary Paulsen & # 8217 ; s & # 8220 ; Hatchet & # 8221 ; which is a narrative about one

male child who must last in the wilderness, with merely a tomahawk as a arm. This

is a narrative of bravery about how one kid was forced to transform into an grownup

in order to digest the fortunes environing him. Brian Robeson was

stranded on an island, after his plane crashed down while going to see his

male parent. He had no nutrient, now manner of communicating and merely a little tomahawk to

salvage his life. Through terrorizing events, & # 8220 ; Hatchet & # 8221 ; is the narrative of one adult male & # 8217 ; s

battle to last. It is obvious how Brian Robeson was forced to & # 8220 ; come of

age & # 8221 ; or & # 8220 ; turn up. & # 8221 ; He boarded the program that would alter his life everlastingly, as a

kid, and returned place a adult adult male. The fortunes Brian was put under

after the plane crashed changed his life everlastingly. When he returned home, he

looked at things from a different position and was non speedy to take little

things for granted.

Last, Hugh Maclennan & # 8217 ; s narrative & # 8220 ; Explosion & # 8221 ; is a narrative about a immature male child

named Roddie Wain, who was late for school on the celebrated forenoon that Mont Blanc

crashed into another ship on the Halifax seaport, doing monstrous devastation.

Roddie Wain begins his journey of coming of age on this forenoon when he is faced

with the continuation of decease, shrieks, and scream, environing him. Through

the yearss events, this kid grows in to a immature adult male through a series of flooring

and terrorizing events. Near the beginning of the narrative, Roddie is merely a kid

who was late for school, and knows he is non in problem due to the twister that

merely passed because of the detonation. He is happy that he will non be in

problem. By the terminal of the narrative, he wishes he was back in school and in

problem instead than being faced with the atrocious sight of decease and blood. An

the terminal of the narrative it is besides instead obvious that he is non merely stating that

he wants to be back in school, he is besides stating that he wants to be a kid

once more. Something impossible, after all his has seen and been through. The

subject coming of age is found over and over once more in literature, but each clip we

larn something new. Humankind excessively comes of age with each new narrative, confronting the

cosmopolitan procedure of coming of age to reiterate itself throughout a life-time.

Furthermore, Harper Lee & # 8217 ; s novel To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the best

coming of age narratives of all time written. It is a sensitive, touching portraiture of a

immature male child who comes of age through shocking, yet realistic events. Through

Harper Lee & # 8217 ; s narrative we see how one male child, Jem Finch, changed from a immature kid who

played make believe, to a immature adult male looking for justness, after an surprisingly

thrilling summer when a male child was changed into a adult male.

The first summer passed and Jem Finch was 10 old ages old and afraid of

old shade rumor. The 2nd summer passed and Jem was eleven ; he enacted a

play from his imaginativeness in his front pace along with Scout and Dill. Still

summertime, and they tormented a adult male by lodging a note on the terminal of a fishing

pole, seeking to carry the adult male to come out. Still summertime and Jem, Scout

and Dill tormented the adult male yet once more by occupying his privateness and trespassing.

It was autumn, and Jem stood in his front pace as cryings of sorrow fell down his

face, while Nathan Radley cut of his lone communicating with Boo Radley. It was

winter, and Jem and Scout sat outside, watching as a house burned down and a

shade threw a cover over Scout. It was winter, and Jem stood prouder than

of all time, as he watched his male parent kill an infested, deceasing Canis familiaris. It was spring, and

Jem raged against an old lady by destructing her roses, kicked his sister to the

land in rage and helped her back up. It was summertime, Jem saved his

male parent & # 8217 ; s life every bit good as Tom Robinson & # 8217 ; s. It was summer, and Jem sat and watched

the test which would alter his life, turn him into a adult male. It was summertime

still, and the justness system that Jem had so much religion in, allow him down and

broke his bosom. Jem stood in the courtroom as cryings strolled down his face

for Tom Robinson, and what the justness system had done to him.

It was summertime still, and a immature adult male fought to alter the justness

system, and to do things right, giving everyone hope for the hereafter. It was

autumn, and a immature adult male ran made with fury when his sister mentioned the test and

the courthouse. It was autumn, and Jem & # 8217 ; s life was saved be the adult male who had one time

feared so much. Through these affecting, traumatic events, it is easy to see how

one immature care-free male child, turned into a immature adult male full of fury, allow down by the

justness system. Harper Lee & # 8217 ; s narrative How To Kill A Mockingbird is a

representation of world, since, for Jem to turn up he had to confront many bosom

twisting struggles which turned him into a immature adult male. Harper Lee & # 8217 ; s narrative was

so touching, realistic and unforgettable.

In decision, coming of age is an of import and alone universal

experience. Coming of age is a preferable subject among many writers, all over

the universe. Although it is a really popular subject, it is of import non to bury

the traditions and ceremonials behind it. This subject was attractively portrayed

by Harper Lee & # 8217 ; s novel To Kill A Mockingbird. Every kid most semen of age at

some point in their lives, whether through a atrocious ordeal, or by the passing

of clip, but what is most of import is that you learn from it and transport it

throughout your life. Always retrieve that everything that happens during a

life-time is of import and happens for a ground. The procedure of coming of age is

repeated throughout that life-time, so take it and larn from it.