The First Part Last Rough Draft If society was asked what defines “coming of age,” what would it say? Some would say people come of age when they act more mature, think grown up thoughts, or do certain actions. This quote by someone unknown helps form an explanation of what coming of age is: “Maturity doesn’t mean age; it means sensitivity, manners, and how you react.” In the literature piece “The First Part Last,” the author Angela Johnson writes about two teenagers, Bobby and Nia, who struggle with the difficulties of teen pregnancy. Throughout the book, they both face many hardships that put their relationship, patience, and responsibility to the test. With the help of a red balloon, a basketball, and family pictures in a doctor’s office, Bobby comes of age after paying attention to these symbols and signs throughout the novel. In the beginning, Nia decides to give Bobby a red balloon on his 16th birthday. While doing this, she says, “Bobby, I have something to tell you.” With this, some conclusions that are drawn are that the news is not positive, and it could mean a drastic change in Bobby’s life. Also, the red balloon has the potential to symbolize many other objects, including Nia’s childhood, innocence, children, and change that is yet to come. For example, since the news is likely about pregnancy, the balloon could represent Nia giving up her innocence and childhood to Bobby, since she has to give up her old life for new responsibilities that come with being a
Bobby will be coming of age and symbolizing his coming of age is a balloon. A balloon is the best thing a child could get for a gift. On Bobby's 16th birthday his girlfriend Nia arrives to his house with a red balloon and some news. Nia tells Bobby that she is pregnant. So the gift of a balloon represents Nia's childhood and she is giving it away. It is also red, and red can symbolize a few different things. Red is the meaning of love, anger, and fear. Nia is giving her love to bobby, but she fears what is going to come, and angry that this is happening to her.
What exactly doesn't it mean to “come of age?” to know whether Bobby has changed in this way or not we have to understand what it means, even if it means something different for each of
The red balloon symbolizes Nia's innocence in this novel. The balloon symbolizes Nias innocence because she gives it to him at the time that bobby is told he is having a child. In this chapter bobby is that he is having a child and when he is told he is given a red balloon. This is important to the book because we never really are told what the balloon stood for.
Feather, Bobby and Nias baby, symbolizes Nia. Bobby says "and now i look at her and see Nia". Feather looks and reminds Bobby of Nia. Although at first Nia and Bobby said they may put her up for adoption, Bobby wouldn't let her go. "Even though im not set up for her, shes mine" says Bobby. Bobby realizes that he loves Feather because she reminds him of Nia. They are both very important to him. It was Bobbys fate to have Feather.
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Chapter 3). This quote was taken from the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee. Throughout the novel, Jem and Scout begin their journey to the coming of age as they interact and learn more about Boo Radley and the secrets of the Radley Manor. This key scene significantly contributes to their coming of age because as Scout learns to consider other people’s perspectives, she gains a wider view on the world and the people who live in it. She becomes more conscious of the actions she chooses to make and how they affect her, as well as the people who surround her.
1.balloon; The balloon symbolizes childhood in this novel. Bobby was turning 16 and his girlfriend was 15 Nia shows up at the party with a red balloon; Bobby is sitting there as Nia walks up and hands him the red balloon. she is giving him the balloon because she had just found out she was pregnant. Symbolically she gives him the balloon as she is giving her childhood away.
“Where Is It Written?” by Adams Schwartz, is a story about a young boy called Sam. Sam first wants to free himself from his mother’s. Then, persuade his father to file for his custody because his tired of his mother behavior. Finally, Sam ended up with his father which he later felt bad about his action. Coming of age is an important theme in which the protagonist was able to recall his past and was able to discover his/ her mistake or what he/she should have done to turn the situation around.
What happens to a tennager when their whole world suddenly changes? In the book “the first part last” written by Angela Johnson, the main character bobby is a typical, normal teenager. Has the best time with friends, and lives life vigorously. His parents are divorced so he lived with his mother (Mary) in New York City. He still manages to keep in touch with his father, and has always had a very loving and supportive family. Bobby’s life was “perfect”, then Nia told him the worst news possible for him. Bobby is a man because, he kept feather, he puts feather before himself, and mostly because of the way he handled Nia’s situation or condition.
In conclusion, the phrase “coming of age”, to me, means that you're growing up and people should start acting their age. Many teenagers think about how much freedom they get as they age. But really it's just more responsibility to take on and becoming more wise. If you are not smart about the things you do it leads to mistakes that can’t be undone. Growing up doesn't just mean your getting older, but it also means that it's time to take on more responsibility and start taking care of yourself more and more little by
In the story first part last Nia handed Bobby a red balloon. The balloon is a symbol that represents childbirth or pregnancy. That which made Bobby a little nervous. It made him ask himself in a way why Nia would be handing him a red balloon. It's important because it shows that Bobby is going to have to mature and be able to take care of his own family.
The Catcher in the Rye Novel by J. D. Salinger was very intriguing and showed real aspects of growing up. The novels whole plot and message is what drew me back to this novel its reality and honesty about the life of a teenager and the obstacles and emotions we go through as a result of them. This books genre is Literary realism, and Coming-of-age. The story’s theme focuses on alienation and teenage anxiety which seemed to really capture this ages adolescents. Holden Caulfield the main character struggles with life as he deals with the multiple problems pertaining to innocence, inclusiveness, identity, loss, and connection.
Throughout Joan London’s coming of age novel ‘The Golden Age’ there is a complex exploration into all the character in the novel. Based in the 1950’s Perth Polio epidemic, London exposes the effects that polio has on patients and families physically and mentally and how this effects their future. With the use of a non-linear structure London provides insight into characters’ pasts and their aspirations for bright futures. London is able to display these aspirations through the exploration of relationships, recovering from polio, parenting and how not everyone’s future is bright throughout the novel.
Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi is a story of a black girl growing up in the American Deep South during the development of the Civil Rights Movement. Moody notices the racism that envelops her life and attempts to understand why it exists, despite the absence of reasonable grounding. Suffocating under the restrictions and fear caused by systematic racism, she ultimately decides to become an activist, and takes an active role in demanding equality and a better life for Black Americans.
The stories the “Rocking Horse Winner” and “Araby” are an example of coming of age. The “Araby” story was from a narrator that used his childhood experience while he is growing up and falling in love Mangans sister. The narrator grew up in a quiet neighborhood And attended a Christian Brothers school. The boy lived with his aunt and uncle. In the house they lived in, their was a priest that had passed away in one of the rooms. One of the narrators favorite experiences was when he would scram through things that had been left behind in the house. This story was a coming of age story not really because he went from a young boy to a growing adult, but because the maturity in the story. He grew to love. He really struggled to
I thought this was important because, in the story it kinda came out of nowhere and it meant something. Nia was waiting for Bobby at the end of the stairwell with the red balloon, no one knew what it symbolized at first, that's why it was so important. She then handed Bobby the balloon and he knew that it meant something was about to change. Later on he found out the balloon symbolized Nia's pregnancy.