On the first day of discussion in the “Coming of Age
Novel” course, we talked about what it means to come of age. The meaning of the
phrase should be useful, after all, since we plan to talk about various
examples of it for an entire semester. We hardly reached a clear consensus,
however.
Some people held the idea that a coming of age is a
clear-cut event or ordeal after which you are an adult. This idea is upheld by
many cultural traditions. My grandpa was a Boy Scout back in the 1950s. To join
the Order of the Arrow, a national honor society for scouts, he had to complete
an “ordeal,” which involved staying in the woods overnight, building his own
shelter, and preparing his own food with few supplies. Though the ordeal wasn’t
explicitly a coming of age ceremony, it’s a good example of a specific event
which is supposed to change someone profoundly.
However, most people seemed to agree that coming of
age is more of a process. Even a major experience can shape a person throughout
their life; one episode can affect or change a person every time they reflect on
it. For most people, coming of age is a series of small steps by which one
becomes an adult. Learning how to cook, how to drive or take a bus, or
scheduling your own doctor’s appointments are all steps towards becoming an
independent person.
Of course practical experiences are not the only
important part of becoming an adult. One must mature emotionally and learn how
to cope with grief and disappointment. One must also come to terms with
changing as a person and losing many of one’s childhood memories and friends.
I don’t think I have come of age yet. Though I can
cook and ride the bus, I don’t know if I could pass for an adult on my own. I
still rely on other people for motivation to perform basic tasks, like getting
out of bed in the morning or going to sleep at night. The idea of becoming an
adult also horrifies me. Maybe exposure to other people’s accounts of coming of
age will help me to realize the ways in which I have grown and the ways in
which I still need to grow.
I definitely agree. While coming of age as a whole is a gradual process, the steps taken are discrete events that build up slowly towards the development of a persona. I also like the idea that independence is a large part of your idea of coming of age. I know that I, personally, am trying to become as independent as possible from my parents. I dislike having to rely on other people for anything.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea of coming of age being a gradual process. Although there are some events that can radically change a person, I think they are still a part of a series of events that gradually shape and mature a person.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of relating coming of age to becoming independence. If we consider the cultures where young boys and girls must accomplish a task to become adults, the purpose is usually to establish that the individual is capable of thinking, acting, and coping on their own. I think it's interesting to see how Stephen progresses through these stages and what transformative experiences he goes through.
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