Coming of Age Essay

To Kill a Mockingbird has two major genres that it can be shelved under; Bildungsroman and Southern Gothic. A bildungsroman, otherwise known as a ‘coming of age story’, usually focuses on one character as they ‘come of age’ and ‘grow up’ in either a mental or physical sense. To Kill a Mockingbird has more than one character experience a ‘coming of age’, but the character who ‘grew up’ the most was Scout. Over the course of the novel, she learned a multitude of lessons that helped shape and carry

that coming of age requires a different perspective. Each of these authors apply these devices to the theme of coming of age through the main characters. Harper Lee, who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, displays these devices through her main characters, Jem and Scout. Very similar, yet very different, JD Salinger, who wrote Catcher in the Rye, portrays these devices somewhat differently through his main character, Holden. Many characters between the two books learned so much relating to the coming of

In this coming of age story, the character of Rachel portrays a typical young girl, who, by herself, attempts to understand age and the benefits of growing older. By using a setting of her eleventh birthday, Sandra Cisneros skillfully shows the elements that make one who they are and the difficulties that exist in growing up. Cisneros employs descriptive imagery and literary devices to describe Rachel’s experience. Throughout the poem, Cisneros uses the concept that one’s past age is a building

In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee, the writer uses the experiences of Scout and Jem to show their coming of age, and how they learn to understand people for who they are, and not what rumors say they are. It portrays a strong message that you never really understand someone until you have put yourself in their shoes, or in their skin, as Atticus would say, “and walked around in them”. At the beginning of the story, Scout and Jem are childish, naive siblings, who wish to

Has Bobby in the “first part last” come of age? After reading this book many people wonder if he came of age. He came of age when Bobby decided to keep Feather. Nia, after giving birth went into a vegetative state which caused her to basically be brain dead. Bobby and Nia before the problem occured, decided to have the baby get adopted with the help of a social worker. Bobby decided to keep Feather right when he saw her and of what happened to Nia, he felt like he should do his part. The author who

In John Steinbeck’s two novels, The Pearl and The Red Pony, the characters demonstrate a coming of age that integrates into a loss of innocence. Jody, from The Red Pony, comes of age by raising and caring for horses later causing him a loss of innocence by watching the horses face terrible conditions and suffering losses. Kino, from The Pearl, demonstrates a coming of age when he experiences immense greed and heartbreak, causing a loss of innocence when his perspective of evil and pain widens due

time of segregation. As they discover new ideas, they also manage to learn more about themselves. Lee utilizes imagery, direct characterization, and dialogue to express the recurring theme of coming of age, also known as Bildungsroman. In the text, imagery is used to help understand the theme of coming of age. An excerpt of imagery is shown when Jem chides Scout about killing insects. The following states, “I lay on my stomach, reached down and poked

Telemachos' Coming of Age The Odyssey by Homer has been around for almost three-thousand years. Many critics and analysists have given their opinions on his pieces. Throughout the reading of Howard W. Clarkes' article in Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism, it was thought to be a comparison between a father and sons journeys. While many believe Telemachos' journey was to find out in sequence details that have taken part in his fathers' 20 year odyssey throughout Greece and partially throughout

Betty Smith 's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn presents the problems of a child growing up, the coming of age when one meets challenges and overcomes obstacles. The protagonist, Francie Nolan, undergoes a self-discovery as she strives to mature living in the Brooklyn slum despite its poverty and privation. Thus, Smith 's thematic treatment of the struggle of maturity has become for the reader an exploration of loneliness, family relationships, the loss of innocence, and death and disease. One of the

14 years of age and still growing. I would say that I’ve experienced being adult, but I’ve got 4 more years for that. What I have experienced is my coming of age,and transforming over my years of life. Typically, being the outgoing person I am today, you would think I’m an interesting person, doing a lot of fun things. I’m actually not though. Besides the fact that I’m a troublemaker and a person that doesn’t really make a lot of friends now that I am older. My only close friends are from when I