The Emergence of a Young Girl into Womanhood

     Childhood is a time where children learn about the world around themselves. They see and experience many factors that influence their everyday lives, which help them grow stronger when they become adults. In 'Girl'; by Jamaica Kincaid and 'The Lesson'; by Toni Cade Bambara the characters within the stories learn valuable lesson with help them grow to become better individuals. In 'The Lesson'; the character of Sugar undergoes a realization that society does not treat everyone equally, that not every individual has the same opportunity and equality that they should have. In 'Girl'; the main character learns that she must be perceived as a woman and not as a slut, her mother brings to her

Most common cultures have rituals, celebrations, or traditional ceremonies to acknowledge the coming of age of boys and/or girls. The Hispanic culture have a traditional “Quinceañera” for young teenage girls turning age 15 to recognize her coming of age as a woman. Jews have “Bar Mitzvah” for men or “Bat Mitzvah” for women to celebrate coming of age. Although in some cultures, celebrating coming age is nothing less than actually celebrating; but in other cultures, such as Aborigine culture, rather than having a huge celebration, young teenage boys, age thirteen, are enduring an essential evaluation. In this stage of their life, their elders test them to see if they are “man” enough to survive by themselves.

What does it mean to be a woman or man? Whether we a man or a woman, in today’s society it is not determined just by our sex organs. Our gender includes a complex mix of beliefs, behaviors, and characteristics. How do you act, talk, and behave like a woman or man? Are you feminine or masculine, both, or neither? These are questions that help us get to the core of our gender and gender identity. Gender identity is how we feel about and express our gender and gender roles: clothing, behavior, and personal appearance. It is a feeling that we have as early as age two or three. In the article, “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meaning of Gender,” the author, Aaron Devor, is trying to persuade his readers that gender shapes how we behave because of the expectation from us and relate to one another. He does this by using an educational approach, describing gender stereotypes, and making cultural references. He gets readers to reflect on how “Children’s developing concepts of themselves as individuals are necessarily bound up …to understand the expectations of the society which they are a part of” (389). Growing up, from being a child to an adult is where most of us try to find ourselves. We tend to struggle during this transition period, people around us tell us what to be and not to be, Jamaica Kincaidt in her short story, “Girl” tells just that, the setting is presented as a set of life instructions to a girl by her mother to live properly. The mother soberly

Although The Awakening may be seen as a tragic love story to some, it is truly a novel that displays the turning point for a woman’s role in the 1900’s. The main character, Edna Pontellier, is the epitome of the new working woman. The story centers around Edna’s discovery of her beliefs which are found through a series of awakenings and contrasted with the social norms of the time.

This report is based on the book Thunder Rides a Black Horse written by Claire R. Farrer. This book is written in context of an indian group called the Mescalero Apache Indians. Their reservation and ceremonial grounds are based in the south-central part of New Mexico. The author is very familiar with this tribe as she claims to be like family with some of the members. She writes this book based on her visit to join in on one of their big traditions. It is called the puberty ceremonials. These ceremonies are where the young girls of the tribe are traditionally accepted as women into their society. The Mescalero Apache Indians still

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.

Anne Moody is the author of Coming of Age in Mississippi which was originally published in 1968. Anne Moody is a famous African American Mississippi author who was born in Wilkinson County, Mississippi on September 15, 1940. She was the eldest of nine children born to Fred and Elnire Moody. While growing up in Mississippi, Moody attended a segregated school where she was an outstanding scholar. Moody cleaned houses in order to keep food on the table and clothes on her family members’ backs. In 1961, Moody earned scholarship in basketball to Natchez Junior College where she was involved in sit-ins, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to fight for civil rights for blacks in the south. Upon her completion at Natchez Junior College, she went to Tougaloo College where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1964. Moody continued her civil rights activities North at Cornell University where she served as a civil rights project coordinator from 1964 to 1965. Moody joined all of these civil rights groups partially because of the lynching of Emmitt Till. Moody’s literature includes Coming of Age in Mississippi, Mr. Death: Four Stories and Famous People Stories: 4th Grade Reading Level. Moody’s books have helped people understand what life was like in the segregated South before and during the civil rights movement. Moody recently passed away on February 5, 2015 at the age of 74.

Anne Moody, a black activist in the twentieth century, wrote an autobiography, Coming of Age in Mississippi, which illustrated how life was like growing up poor and black in the rural south. She wrote in details of her life living in the racist society and what it meant to be black in the South twentieth century. Readers were able to understand her personal thoughts as well as her memories of the fight growing up in the south and her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Moody grew up with a poor family and faced many challenges throughout her life. Anne Moody’s life is representative of the black experience in the American twentieth century by experiencing racism, and unfair prejudice; but also being persistent in her life and with the struggle to defeat white oppression.

The term generation means all people born and living around the same time, regarded collectively. But even though that is the meaning of generation people think that generation means something else. For example, I have read an essay that explains what generations are, and I have seen a presentation where it says the total opposite of what the essay says. In March 8, 2000, Arlie Russell Hochschild wrote Coming of Age, Seeking an Identity, where she explained that generations are a group of people who feel the impact of a powerful historical event and developed a consciousness about it. While in March 19, 2016 Adam Conover did a presentation on generation where he says that “generations do not exist.”

While reading both “On Growing Up Between Genders”, by Stephen Burt and “The Female Body” by Margaret Atwood, I was so moved by both poets writing that I felt as though I was living their experiences with them. Throughout the course of both pieces, I felt emotionally drawn to obstacles of both writers, while understanding their wants of an experience very different from the ones previously given to them.

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.

In one section of the book, her mom tells her a story about a woman who invented white crane boxing. Despite being an adult, Kingston still continues to feel worthless when compared to Fa Mu Lan’s bravery and courage. After hearing the stories, she decides to fight against sexism and other injustices. In order to change her character and her figure, she decides to create an alternate image to be considered more powerful and unlike the typical Chinese woman. While Growing up, the narrator decides to obtain respect by going against the typically feminine characteristics of a female. At one point she remembers refusing to cook and when she would do the dishes, she would “crack one or two”(47). Furthermore, she would occasionally “burn the food”

Imagination is a companion that will always be there to ease up moments of despair in life. It gives hope that one day the possessions that the heart desires will be there not too far from reach, or to believe the cruel circumstances life brings upon us are instead moments of joy. L.M Montgomery demonstrates this skilfully in her work; Anne of Green Gables. The novel is about a lonely orphaned girl whose only friend is her imagination. Due to her imagination and the support of her new loving family, she grows into a bright and intelligent young woman who realizes the potential that life has for her and her tremendously creative mind. The experiences and expectations that are placed on the

Imagine yourself; a young woman on the verge of adulthood. Regardless of the unknowns and the fears, you nevertheless find yourself independent in your thoughts, confident in your abilities and strong-willed in your actions. However, 18 years is not enough to completely empower you, it simply lowers the safety net. A safety net of dependency, financially and legally to a guardian or parent. A safety net for you to fall back on for absolutely anything you’re unable to provide for yourself. Furthermore, imagine yourself deciding on your education; pursing a large University far from home—maybe even in another city. Imagine that safety net becoming less and less available to you; all the while your bills and expenses become more and more

First wave feminism was a late-19th and early-20th century phenomenon that brought about a plethora of changes, most noticeably women's suffrage. Many early feminist activists became politically engaged through the anti-slavery movement (LeGates, 244). First-wave feminism focused on legal issues, primarily on gaining women's right to vote. Women’s role during the First World War reflected their social and economic position. Feminists were not satisfied with the idea that women’s work was classified as less important than men’s work. Besides, the working-class women who were the representatives of the first wave feminism promoted the ideas of feminism at work and in homes, in stores, halls and local newspapers (Boxer, 554). They believed in their rights and were focused on the promotion of collective actions aimed at realization of their agenda. However, men opposed women’s involvement into male jobs during the First World War. Male trade unions defended the division of labor based on gender. Much of the first wave feminism was led by middle upper class and upper class white women. Suffrage was one of the most important issues persisting through first wave feminism. Feminists in the nineteenth century believed that getting the right to vote would pave the way for other substantial gains in feminism (LeGates, 243). During this time women were widely oppressed and racism and discrimination were evident at every corner. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, women’s suffrage