Oskars Auzins Mr. Myers English 3W 21 May 2024 Title Every person experiences a time in their lives referred to as “Coming of Age”. By definition, coming of age is the process by which a child mentally matures to an adult through the development of empathy and understanding of love, loss and change. There are certain aspects to the coming of age process that foster maturity and allow for growth: developing empathy and experiencing love. These are both vital to the mental development of children and teenagers as they become adults and take on more responsibility. Some examples of characters who undergo these changes are Haulden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) who learns to develop empathy, as well as Romeo Montague from Romeo and Juliet …show more content…
He feels those emotions because he has developed empathy through all the interaction he’s had with different people while in New York. He is able to see the world through a different lens, growing more mature as he becomes aware of those around him. This shows how empathy is related to growth and maturity, and how it affects the coming of age process. In the novel Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the main character Romeo is a young romantic who dreams of love and hails from a wealthy family: the Montagues. His family is in conflict with another noble house: the Capulets. One day, Romeo sneaks into a Capulet party in disguise and meets the Capulet’s daughter Juliter, who he falls in love with immediately. Juliet reciprocates his feelings and they are married in secret within a few days of meeting each other. Just before the wedding, Romeo is scolded by Friar Lawrence, who says: “Have you given up so quickly on Rosaline, whom you loved so much? Then young men love with their eyes, not with their