Rites Of Passage In Brothers Are The Same And Through The Tunnel

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A rite of passage is a personal goal or challenge that one achieves so that they can be prepared for later stages in life, or to a new level of maturity. It can be influenced by many things including religion, culture, feelings, emotions, or other personal reasons. The short stories “Brothers are the Same” by Beryl Markham and “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing each have an example of rite of passage. Temas is the main character in “Brothers are the Same”. He is a part of the Maasai culture. In this culture, killing a lion will prove manhood and power within the tribe. Jerry is the main character in “Through the Tunnel”. He moves from the safe beach to the rocky bay. He tries to swim through an underwater tunnel to prove his abilities to himself. Both Temas and Jerry achieved a goal that had an impact on their lives, but there are similarities and differences between the influence, risk, and outcome for each character. …show more content…

Temas is a part of the Maasai culture. The young woman in the story, Kileghan, must choose a brave warrior in the tribe to marry. Temas was determined to kill the lion so she would choose him. Killing a lion is a traditional aspect of the culture, therefore culture is Temas’ influence. On the other hand, Jerry’s rite of passage was influenced by more personal matters. He wanted to prove his abilities, and he wanted to prove that he can be independent. He did so by swimming through an underwater tunnel by himself. Temas is influenced by his culture, and Jerry was

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