On The Bridge Coming Of Age

Tom Stoppard once said “Maturity is a high price to pay for growing up” (Stoppard). The transition from childhood to adulthood comes with many challenges. “On the Bridge” by Todd Strasser is a coming of age short story which highlights how in order to mature, one must go through challenges. It follows two young boys named Seth and Adam. The transition from ignorance to knowledge, idealism to realism, and thinking of self to thinking of others happens once struggle occurs in between. In order to come of age and become mature, young teenagers must first go through hardships. The transition from ignorance to knowledge happens after an epiphany. Seth is ignorant when he believes Adam’s rebellious behaviors leading to the cops disliking him is cool. He thinks to himself about how “it was just pretty cool to think the cops didn't like you” (Strasser, 1). This shows how Seth is easily influenced by Adam and believes that his rebellious actions lead to him being cool. After Adam throws a cigarette at a car, Seth has an epiphany. He begins to wonder “just how far Adam would go” (Strasser, 3). Seth starts to

Seth does nothing when Adam pretends to throw a rock at a car, causing the car to swerve and almost crash. He is “tempted to leave but he stayed because he liked being with Adam” (Strasser, 3). Seth knows that what Adam did was wrong but stays because he likes the idea of being Adam's friend. Seth questions Adam after being in a physical fight provoked by Adam. He asks Adam why “[he] [points] at [him]” (Strasser, 4). He comes to the realization that being Adam’s friend has only caused him trouble. Seth throws away his denim jacket after the fight. "He [takes] it off and [throws] it in the garbage can” (Strasser, 4). Seth knows he would look cool with the newly blood-stained jacket but throws it away because he knows his mom disapproves of the clothing he wears, proving him to be more