Coming Of Age In Trouble, By Gary D. Schmidt

“Sometimes, we need to be hurt in order to grow. We must lose in order to gain. Sometimes, lessons are learned best through pain”(SoraTemplates). In fact that’s what Chay and Henry had issues at school, family, and peers. Henry a fourteen-year-old and his brother had a dream to hike Katahdin Mountain. Then Trouble tags along on Henry journey to complete Franklin and his dream. But he would not be going alone. The very supposed to hate travels with him. Eventually Henry discovered there not that different from each other. Coming of age may be a surprise to some people or just waiting for the moment. In the novel Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt, Chay and Henry both went through coming of age and learned that one cannot escape the harsh sands of time.

Chay pushed through the bully at school and the family issue. But, Chay at the end of the day confronted the Trouble along with burning away his past. Besides,[Chay’s] father would look at [him] like he hated [him]. Then he’d send [his] little brother away, and he’d tell [him] what soldiers do to pretty girls like [Chay’s] mother when they come into refugee camps[... Chays’] father was the man who raped [Chay’s mom]”(Schmidt 218). Chay became aware of the real world and realize that childhood was easier than adulthood.. Not to mention Chay has to deal with getting criticism at home in addition Chay also has to deal with it at his own problem at school .For instance “[...Chay was being pinned against lockers,] Franklin Smith punched him in the stomach [as well] pressed his forearm against [Chay] until he fell unconscious” (78-79). Those have been the few of the “incidents” that keep going on including the red spray painted textbook that Chay payed for. After all childhood made have been fun while it lasted but eventually reality and adulthood will sneak