The First Part Last Bobby Character Analysis

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Matthew James Thomas once said, "Any young man coming of age has a lot to go through," and Bobby did just that in The First Part Last. As a teenager, Bobby is forced to grow up and generate a change in his life because of his girlfriend's unexpected pregnancy. Throughout the story, Bobby is faced with many important events that change him, and eventually cause him to come of age. Many of the objects in Bobby's life are symbols, which are proof that Bobby is in fact, growing up. One of the first, and most important symbols in The First Part Last is Just Frank's character, and this symbol represents being a man, which must be done for someone to come of age. In addition to symbolizing being a man, his character relates to people's expectations. Without even thinking of the consequences, Just Frank risked his life to save a young girl, in defiance of what others had believed him to be. This is related to being a man because Just Frank took responsibility, decided to be man, and fought back. Bobby says, "I laughed 'cause I didn't consider him much of one, a …show more content…

In The First Part Last, the basketball illustrates Bobby's freedom as a child and as he comes of age, that freedom slowly slips away like the basketball did. In the middle of Bobby realizing he left his daughter, he states, "I lay my basketball down and it rolled out of the door into the hall toward Mary's room." This symbol is representing his freedom of childhood going away, in the same way that the basketball rolls away without him pushing it. When Bobby nearly forgets his daughter, Feather for a game of basketball, the reader views that Bobby is going to have to come of age, whether he likes it or not. Later on in the story, the ball is thrown to Paul's child after being rolled towards Bobby, and this is when it is known that Bobby has definitely come of age, with no choice of going

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