“Coming of age is a process wherein an individual develops self-actualization.” (Short Story Returned, Raghuram) Throughout freshman year English, I have overcome numerous predicaments, consequently progressing in my coming of age process. My journey thus far parallels the plot of a crime novel. Similar to the protagonist of a crime novel, I have and will continue to face a series of unforeseen events on my ultimate quest to fight for justice or to mature. The countless setbacks of my expedition parallel the plot’s antagonist causing harm or evading conviction while my progression is depicted by the latter, catching a break in the case. By the denouement, I, the detective, will have achieved my goal of apprehending the criminal, helping …show more content…
I viewed reading as a chore, was often unenthused, and would mostly annotate on the overarching themes without gathering any meaning from them. Books were merely a series of words printed on paper. This school year, however, I began to understand the allure reading has to offer. I have grown to appreciate reading and the insights a book can offer. When reading our numerous texts, I was able to live vicariously through the characters of the books and relate aspects of their lives to my own. Because all of the books from English I pertain to coming of age, I was able to not only learn about maturation as a process, but understand how it pertains to my own life. Through protagonists such as Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye or Esperanza from The House on Mango Street, I learned about my “misguided desire to preserve childhood innocence” and to empower feminism similar to Holden and Esperanza respectively (Heart of Gold, Raghuram). Gradually, I have finally developed the ability to relate to novels and its characters amidst writing my own story.Whether it be thematic elements or the details of a case I am working on, I have become more observant to even the most trivial details. Now when I read, I not only look at the themes, motifs, and symbols, but also repeated phrases or situations that parallel each others as well as the symbolic meaning behind some ambiguous phrases or scenes. Reading now, in contrast to last summer, is a
“How Reading Changed My Life” is the book from where the piece of fragment that we read was taken. This book was written by Anna Quindlen. I was able to relate to Quindlen’s perspective and strongly agree with her. Although children have more extra time to read their favorite books over and over again, adults were children and if they liked to re-read books in the past because the book was in their interest, they will also reread their favorite novel in the present.
Summative - Write a literary analysis that develops an original thesis about the Coming of Age genre. Be sure to incorporate at least three stories.
Coming of age for us is getting older, living life like an adult, missing what It feels like to be a kid again, well that’s life we just have to live through it. During this essay I will be explaining what coming of age is and what it means.
Reading novels is my answer to every obstacle and every complication that I ever experience. I recall my elder’s claiming I will not understand anything at all The Great Gatsby says when I first bought it. I was ten the first time I read The Great Gatsby, and till now I have read it thirteen times. At the end of each book I read I analyze them, and if they come to be one of my favorites, I even write a paper for myself. Reading novels taught me to understand people, it inspired me to learn more. Every book I finish leaves me longing for
Coming of age is a recurring theme that is universally known throughout many different pieces of literature. Whether it’s influenced on true experiences, childhood memories, or even based on one’s current juvenile reality, many of theses works have a correlation between them that include many similar ordeals and struggles that the character goes through in order to metamorphosize into taking their first step out of childhood. One prominent theme that often appears is how one goes through and experiences what life is really like-- in other words, being exposed to a time of tribulation and other walls that stand in one’s path. Additionally, another theme that is how they lose
Michael Henry’s article “Whats with This Summer Reading” has readers pondering why summer reading has students “moving one step further from reading.” Michael Henry explains that one day he saw a teenager becoming very frustrated with the book he was reading. He asked why the young man was reading the book and the boy said, because it was a summer reading assignment. This made Henry think and he began to research summer reading assignments. He wanted to find out what was causing so much frustration.
As an adult reader who has crossed over to the reality of life, reading about these characters can be a transparent, futile exercise because as adults looking back at youth we have the experience to know where these characters are headed before they even start their journey. However, for young adults who are still in the throes of existential angst this is a powerful novel that handles teenage rites of passage and coming-of-age issues such as loyalty, friendship, belonging, and even death and loss very well.
Throughout the year, I read in a way that I never did before. I have read books critically before, but never with one lens in mind. Recently, I read a book, between shades of gray by Ruta Sepetys, that followed a family that was in the upper class, but then viewed as criminals when the Russian secret police came and took them away from their home. The techniques used to make the family submit to the NKVD 's control forces the family into a lower class by dehumanizing them. While reading, I found out how similar I was to the main character and how I would never be able to survive what she went through. Several other books I read this year made me question how I am interpreting them based on my background, and from discussions I found out everyone 's different experiences lead them to discover different parts of the same novels we read.
Reading and writing have played monumental roles in the game called my life. For as long as I can remember, I have been reading or writing, whether it was showcasing my reading skills to my grandparents when I was six, or teaching myself calligraphy when I was thirteen. English literature and all the things it encompasses has always mattered to me, and (almost always) has been a source of my happiness. According to Dana Gioia from “Why Literature Matters, ” more and more young adults are starting to feel the opposite—that reading literature is not interesting and doesn’t matter. “During the past quarter century...the interest young Americans showed in...literature…[has] diminished.” To support this claim that literature matters, Gioia
But even though the newest gadget or breakthrough study can make something smoother, faster, and better, it can’t fill all the holes in our lives. When it comes to figuring out who we are, who we want to be, how to treat other people, and the decisions we have to make, I believe it’s literature can help us. It has the ability to put us in another person’s shoes and see the world from different perspectives. It teaches us how to empathize and connect with others on a much deep level, even if they seem different from us. Learning literature is more than just memorizing names, dates, faces, and summaries, it can broaden our minds and open our hearts by reminding us not to judge a book by its cover, and there’s nothing more important than that. So thank you Mr. Pollard. You have been a profound influence on my life, I’ll never forget
One of the most important aspects of teaching literature to adolescents is helping them understand how individual stories can relate to their lives specifically. More and more, the stigma that literature is a lofty abstract that has no connection to the day-to-day lives creeps into schools. This stigma creates an environment where apathy flourishes and care disappears. As teachers, the number one goal today, seems to be first getting students to care about reading. No matter how dynamic or revolutionary a teacher's methods or philosophies are, if a student does not care, that student will not learn. So, when looking for possible novels that one would use in the classroom, one main question must always be asked; how will this novel be
Not only does it add fresh insights to students daily life, but also gives them the opportunity to learn from others. Dr. Seuss once wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go”(Seuss 3). Novels shed light on riveting topics and radical ideas. They enrich students’ minds and provide a concrete basis for new ideas. Moreover, literature elicits gripping responses to unanswered questions. While many students are oblivious to the misfortune in other countries, readers actively search for solutions to these problems. Additionally, authors inscribe lessons and experiences within texts. Readers absorb this knowledge and apply it to life. A philosopher once said, “A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise one learns from the mistakes of others.” While reading, one can observe and internalize the errors of the characters. Through this process, avid readers are capable of successfully maneuvering through life’s hurdles without a scratch. In high school, mistakes can be detrimental to one’s triumphs. Minor and miniscule errors may lead to catastrophic results. Perhaps, by avoiding the errors made by others, one can journey through life unscathed. Thus, literature plays a critical role in the lives’ of high school
Coming of age is the psychological and moral growth of a person from youth to adulthood. Personal growth and change can occur anytime in life, most often though it is spontaneous. Majority of people have their destinies predetermined and identities defined by families, culture, religion, society, institution or government; but experiences and new perspectives help break those barriers that prevent fluidity into new phases in life. The term "identity" is ultimately who you are as a person. Protagonists Khadra, Nidali and Sarah are all on a journey to self-discovery. As the novels progress, these characters experience crucial changes which bring them closer to finding their true identity as opposed to the identity inherited by their families and culture which sets them apart from the others. Themes such as sexual identity, political opinions (war/government) and philosophical development are all present throughout each of their journeys, ultimately coming to a realization that they are not children anymore.
“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” (Suess 13)I can remember sitting in my bed, repeating that saying to myself, constantly mouthing the words until I dozed off into a deep slumber. The influence of literature affected my daily thoughts, perspective, and memories from even early childhood. From giddily reading the clever rhymes of Dr.Seuss to sitting in the carpool lines relating to the tales of Junie B. Jones, my early exposure to reading and its importance set the tone of its impact throughout my adolescence and transition into adulthood. With my chronological growth, came an array of literature that separated themselves into distinct phases of my life, intertwining the development
Through the course of me reading, I have learned a lot about myself as a reader. One example is, I don’t comprehend what goes on in the books so well. As I have progressed in my readings, it has been easier for me to comprehend things, I’ve been reading more books so I can