In the book Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie experiences a coming of age that primarily involves gain. Coming of age is a universal process encompassing the transition from childhood to adulthood. Yet the forms through which individuals grow are diverse. Janie's gains in her coming of age outweigh the losses, as her growth comes from her response to the loss. Furthermore, Janie’s growth correlates with acquiring knowledge, as she uses her losses to learn. In the story's final chapter, soon after Tea Cake’s death, Janie returns to Eatonville and meets her old friend Pheoby. In this reunion, Janie shares her story and discloses the life lessons she has learned from her marriages with Logan, Jody, and Tea Cake. Janie’s …show more content…
Furthermore, Holden claims, “If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them,” meaning that trying to safeguard children is worse than letting them come of age on their terms. This shift in mindset furthermore promotes Holden’s coming of age, which he also warded off but now begins to accept. Therefore, Holden’s coming of age primarily involves gain, exemplified through his initial rejection and then acceptance of change. Both Janie’s and Holden’s coming-of-age processes involve more gains than losses. While they both endure losses, for Janie, the loss of relationships, and for Holden, the loss of innocence, these losses result in gains. These gains are born through amazing knowledge, as Janie gains wisdom about love and Holden gains an understanding of the importance of change. Furthermore, their recognition that certain aspects of life are uncontrollable is essential to developing their beliefs. Janie learns from her firsthand experiences, such as the powerful hurricane that devastated her village, that love can be idyllic at one moment and catastrophic at the