The words “coming of age” can be used to describe a situation or event when one is free to do what is given after that stage in life. For an example, once someone turns eighteen they can move out. This is because not all, but most people mature by this age, and those people are responsible and able to live out on their own. But how does one know when they have become of age? When a person reaches these points in life, they, most likely, are also leaving small bits of their youth behind them so they can gain maturity. To break it down, the process of coming of age starts with an individual with a young mind and these individuals work up to a point when they make mature choices. After these choices, the individual gains more maturity and respect. …show more content…
This step is the most important one because it is the choice they make that decides whether they become of age and mature. One can choose the mature choice, or the slightly less mature choice, and if possible the immature choice. Becoming of age is gifted when one chooses the mature choice. Paul had a friend named Becky who has just moved in his neighborhood, and started to get to know. Later on, he found out she was moving again and they were both upset, so Paul’s mature decision was to edit a film and give it to her as a going away present. But this was not an ordinary, random film he has just put together. This film was special because it was a film he made starring Becky and he and stated, “i’ll never forget you,” (Paul and Drive, Our Time) towards her in the beginning of the film. The Conversation of Birds, Sally, made a mature decision to attend a memorial service for students who were being killed off in Kwang Joo from protesting against martial rules. “Students were being killed for something as simple as a fair vote,” (Yoon 42) which some people were not happy about. She was one of the only youth who attended which made the choice more mature. Both Paul and Sally’s choices were mature because they showed they cared enough to do something about …show more content…
Paul experienced a coming of age moment at the age of twelve years old by giving a really special and thoughtful going away present to his special friend Becky. Sally experienced a coming of age moment at the age of what seemed like her teen years, and she did it by making a mature choice of attending a memorial service. When reaching certain or uncertain points in life one will leave small parts of their youth behind and become more mature as they grow and by doing this they experience coming of age. All will have a youthful mind or young attitude before the process of coming of age. During the process of coming of age, one performs a mature action. After the process of coming of age, one becomes more respectful to themselves and others. To recap, coming of age is when one matures when getting older by leaving pieces of their youth behind, making a mature choice, and by doing this they gain and give
Your age doesn't determine how or if you are coming of age, Your mindset and mentality to move forward determines that. The Novella “The Body” by Stephen King is about a group of boys who all come from abusive, dysfunctional families and this book is their journey to discover a dead body. They are young and their immaturity makes them excited to see a dead body, but along the way, they begin to realize various things and begin to grow. In this book, the four boys Gordie, Chris, Vern, and Teddy come of age. In this essay, there will be brief descriptions about three of the four of the boys from this novella. Chris came from a bad family and was thought to come out the exact same way as his family and was doubted his whole life. Teddy came from
Maturity is not a fickle expression such as happiness or frustration, but rather an inherent quality one gains over time, such as courage or integrity. Before maturity can be expressed, the one who expresses it must have significant confidence in himself, since self-confidence is the root of maturity. Being flexible and formulating one's own opinions or ideas are aspects of maturity, but neither is possible without self-confidence. The greatest aspect of maturity is the ability to make decisions which society does not agree with. Whether or not one follows through with these ideas is not important. What is important is the ability to make the decision. These decisions represent the greatest measure of maturity.
When has someone achieved maturity? They achieve it when they have fully developed their mind and are able to fend for themselves successfully. In The Glass Castle , Jeannette Walls illustrates her childhood with a mother who acted more like her children then a responsible adult. Rose Mary did not nurture her children in a typical way, but ultimately the children must fend for themselves. Fending for herself and her siblings affects Jeannette’s adult feelings regarding her mother because of how it taught her to not be dependent on others.
According to the Quest Pattern, Lily, the antagonist in Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees, comes of age quite elegantly. She has to face some harsh situations that set her journey in motion, acquire knowledge about her past and present, and find a reward during this journey. While Lily’s quest isn’t easy, she finds that “…nobody is perfect. [And] How you just have to close your eyes and breathe out and let the puzzle of the human heart be what it is.” (Kidd 285). To prove that she is coming of age, she follows the pattern, and manages to with a strong will, and a maturity that is generally unknown to others her age.
Maturity is something that does not have one specific shape or size. It is something that everyone reaches at a different time in their life, or maybe not even at all. People must go through life to push them towards the direction of maturity. This may be early in life, or much later on. One is truly mature based on character traits, their ability to form independent ideas, and how he or she copes with the hypocrisy and pressure of society.
Emerging Adulthood represents the period of development from late teens through their twenties, mainly focusing on the ages 18-25. This is the period which people start exploring and realizing the capabilities of their lives, which then helps them characterize as adults and no longer teenagers. This topic of psychology is compelling to me because it’s a stage that every adult has lived through, it’s interesting that we have all experienced it differently based on our life circumstances and demographics. It’s interesting to see the changes throughout the years and eventually it will be easier for young people to explore these years as more young adults are going to school nowadays. It teaches me to further understand why emerging adults go through
Coming of Age is when a character in a story goes through a life-changing event they learn a life lesson from. There are many types of books and short stories that are based on Coming of Age, "The Flowers" by Alice Walker is one of them. In the story the main character, Myop, is wandering through the woods. However, she later decides to shorten her walk, after she starts to feel uncomfortable and fearful, of her surroundings. Soon she decides later to find her way back home until she stumbles across something... a dead body. At first Myop was astonished of what she had uncovered . It was something she had never encountered before. After examining the body she began to realize that it was actually something very interesting. Seeing the lifeless
Many works of literature use the idea of coming of age to represent the characters growth and change. This coming of age allows the characters to see an aspect of their lives differently after experiencing something that changes their view. John Knowles uses this coming of age idea in his novel A Separate Peace. In the story, almost all of the character exemplifies this idea. Two of these characters are Leper and Finny. Knowles uses many details in the text as well as quotes to show for their coming of age. Both Leper and Finny experience events that impact their lives greatly.
“Dead Poet’s Society” is a film set in the late fifties at a prestigious school for boys called the Welton Academy. The story focuses on an unorthodox English teacher and his impact upon his students, especially a group of seven boys. The primary focus of this film, in my opinion, is the theme of coming of age. The film itself highlights many important and relevent issues that teenagers face in the process of trying to find out who they are as a person. The students are constantly pressured to conform by adults throughout most of the film. Although these adults are only trying to help the boys, it is important that they figure themselves out and develop their own way of thinking. When the boys realize this, they grow up themselves. The character of Todd is a fantastic example of this. Throughout most of the film, this shy boy is ultimately unwilling and reluctant to go against what he is told. When Neil commits suicide, he begins to see the world in a very different way and understands that sometimes questioning the decisions and regulations accepted by society is necessary.
Sam comes of age at the very end of the story. Sam says, “ perhaps I could have said something kind about my mother, but I was only thirteen and I didnt know that love can be as obdurate as the changes you long for. (pg#99) Basically, Sam came of age because he realize that his mother has been going through a lot of pain and she just needs the love from her son but he took to long to see reality. this is a significant change because Sam earlier in the story did not want to be with his mother and didn't want to talk to her about nothing. all he wanted to do is spend time with his father. In the end, the unhappiness in his mother eyes made him notice the love he has for her. This story illustrates the importance of have a relationship between
For me to “come of age” means to grow up, to become wiser, and to become more responsible. Responsibility, privileges, and consequences are all a part of coming of age. When you get the privileges you need to be responsible with them and if you're not you will get consequences for that. When we “come of age” when we are in high school, for example driving it can teach us what we need to know when leave home along with any other things we learn or any mistakes we make. Even though it’s something that can’t be avoided I don’t think anyone is ready to grow up,who wants to grow up and have to figure out what it’s like to live in the real
Adulthood has often been associated with independence. It serves as a turning point in life where one has to take responsibility for oneself and no longer being dependent on his or her family. Early adulthood, usually begins from late teens or early twenties and will last until the thirties (Santrock, 2013). Early adulthood revolves around changes and exploration while middle and late adulthood are more of stability. The transition from adolescence and adulthood differs among every individual. The onset of the transition is determined by many factors such as culture, family background, and the personality of the individual. Emerging adulthood (as cited in Santrock, 2014) is the term to describe the transition period from adolescence to adulthood.
For me, driving a car, going to Europe, graduating, and having a job have all contributed to my maturity. I have to make life and death choices every day while driving, and my choices affect other’s lives- and that bring a lot of maturity. I went to Europe basically by myself, with no parent there to hold my hand. I had to make good choices, be safe and be mature while I was half way across the world from my parents. I am graduating this year as well. After this summer I am going to college, being a real “adult” and I will be able to make my own choices. Maturity will help me keep my head on straight while I am being my own boss. For the past two years I have held the same job. This job has taught me responsibility, how to deal with money and people and basic life skills. If I were not mature I would not be able to hold a job for that long.
Everyone that have ever lived to adulthood, understand that difficulty of the transition to it from childhood. As of right now, I am in the prime of the “coming of age “transition. The overwhelming pressure of our society that forces the adolescence to assimilate the social norms is felt by many. Just as in our first steps, our first words or anything that is expected in our human milestones, coming of age is one of them. It may variety from different societies, religious responsibility or modern legal convention; everyone had to reach this point eventually.
An instance that is very common in our society that happens to many different types of age groups that automatically forces you to be more mature ,if you step up to the responsibility, is having a newborn. When this type of instance happens its shows one of the definitions of mature. When a person comes to mental stability and growth is when you're mentally mature. Having that type of burden to support anothers life causes many humans to think differently. For example if a high school couple were to have a newborn it presents new responsibilities to caring for the baby which usually always replaces old behaviors an average high school student would ...