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Essay about Down The Rabbit Hole

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Down the Rabbit Hole
Boys journey to becoming a man
“One of the signs of passing youth, is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them” (Virginia Wolfe). In our culture, do we define the moment a boy becomes a man by his age? Is it by his size, stature or accomplishments? Does it happen the first time he makes love to a woman? Wikipedia defines coming of age as a young person’s transition from childhood to adulthood. I believe adulthood can be distinguished by something less tangible than size, stature, money, responsibilities, social status, etc. It is an internal function that although illusive, has been described through out time as compassion, self awareness, connectivity, emotional …show more content…

For the first time in the novel Bandini exercises self awareness and remorse. And so his journey from boy to man begins...
In chapter eleven Bandini grows tremendously through his relationship with Vera. Once again love is a backdrop for his development. In their first encounters he quickly becomes repulsed and disgusted by the hysterical and smelly Vera. Something profound happens and suddenly he see’s past her smell, temperament, instability, and strange behavior. He see’s her for a person and develops compassion for a stranger. He is concerned about the welfare of other’s rather than the narcissistic Bandini we grow accustom to in the first half of the novel. He excuses himself after Vera shows him her disfiguring scars. “ I went down to the end of the hall to the landing of the fire-escape, and there I let go, crying and unable to stop because God is such a dirty crook, such a contemptible skunk, that’s what he was for doing that thing to that woman.” (Fante pg. 89). As he cries on the fire-escape for another, he continues his refinement into a man as he feels connected and empathy for another.
Most adolescents at some point are forced to leave the comfortable life of being taken care of by there parents and are sprawled into an unknown world where they must develop the skill to take care of one’s self financially. This

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