It is wholly recurrent to blindly skim through a detailed piece of literature and be unconscious to the likeness it shares with other pieces of literature. I am surely guilty of this ignorant practice, however. As I was reading “Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde and “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins, I didn’t truly perceive the connection right away. The obvious was already divulged in my mind; they’re both in the points of views of children. They, however, both have a mutual theme; growing up brings uncertainty and disappointment.
Everyone goes through the transition from childhood to adulthood. Boys become young men, and girls become young women; this is a significant stepping stone in the “journey to maturity.” Of course, becoming mature does not happen over night. Instead, it is a long process of learning from experience, which gives the young adult a new outlook on life and a new set of skills. The initiation theme is discussed in the article “Greasy Lake,” by critic Dennis Vanatta who argues that the author T.C. Boyle has created a narrator who is reflecting on his youth and an evening that would prove to be his stepping stone in the journey to maturity.
Comparing and Contrasting the complex mind of children and adults We live in cruel world full of bad people who do bad things and good people who are capable of doing bad things in the stories “The man in the well” and “If You Touched My Heart” readers witness several different types of people all of which except for one know right from wrong. The two stories both show how sick one’s mind can be as well as how cruel a person can be. Some at a very young age but also as adults.
Children are the most pure examples of the human race. They have not been flawed by societal norms; they are still purely themselves. The pure nature of children is miles away from the beaten down attitude of adults. Adults have seen the pain of reality, and it has caused them to stray from their original state. When the two groups meet, sometimes incredible things happen.
Also , the setting of the story impacts the theme. One of the themes is the transition from childhood to adulthood .
Zach Glazer Ms. SL C Block One Life, Two Worlds In people's lives, there are many things they rely on, such as family, friends, school and sports. People also may have safe havens, which are places where they can be alone and comfortable. In The Ocean at The End of the Lane, the narrator finds books as his haven and something on which he can rely. Growing up, without much attention from his family or friends, he would use books as a source of education, a distraction, and finally as a calming tool.
Every child has a unique and impactful relationship with their parents, or lack thereof. However, we can somehow often times draw parallels between the dynamic of parent-child relationships within semi-conventional families, and/or the perspective that we as observers have on these relationships. Both Nordan and Bechdel focus heavily on these types of relationships that their characters share, and offer their own perspectives on them as well as the correlation between these relationships and the development of the impacted character. In both novels, Music of the Swamp and Fun Home, the protagonist at the beginning of the story is a child.
I lost something there. Like a path I was walking that dead-ended, and now I am alone and lost in the forest, and I am here and I do not know where here is anymore.” (Gaiman, 2013). As mentioned in the story, the man is unable to remember many of the words and names that he has learned over time, but he has not forgotten concepts, he just has to describe them to himself in order to remember and we can sense his growing frustration in doing so. I saw the same thing happen with my grandfather, I knew his memory was still there, but it was just so hard for him to recall it easily and it was heartbreaking to
In the 1800’s, the societal niche of married women was clearly defined: they were meant to devote every aspect of their lives to their husbands and children. Edna Pontellier, the protagonist in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, struggles to adhere to these standards, and eventually rebels against them. The harsh standards placed on Edna and other women in the novel are like the cages around the metaphorical birds Chopin uses to represent them. Edna's unhappiness in her societal role is realized in the ocean, which symbolizes this awakening and her attempt to escape the gender roles of the nineteenth century.
In some works of literature, childhood and adolescence are portrayed as times graced by innocence and a sense of wonder; in other works, they are depicted as times of tribulation and terror. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding the author portrays that children are not completely innocent. Golding’s representation of childhood and adolescence also shows us the attitudes children have towards participating in work. In Lord of the Flies Golding portrays that children are not completely innocent.
Neil Gaiman is a Hugo award winning British author of short stories, graphic novels, comic books, audio titles and films. Some of his notable works include ‘Stardust’, ‘Neverwhere’, ‘Good Omens’, ‘The Sandman’ series of graphic novels, etc. ‘The Ocean At The End of The Lane’ written by Neil Gaiman, is a book that is spoken through a child’s perspective, of the world around him. The book deals with the unstable emotions that the protagonist, a child goes through that eventually leads to a disconnect between his childhood and adulthood.
Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman is told in first person by an unnamed narrator recalling memories of a peculiar time from his youth. The book opens with the narrator describing his day at a funeral of someone close to him, then leaving and wandering toward the lane he grew up on. He ends up at the Hempstock’s farm, where he meets Mrs. Hempstock, and the memories of his past begin to unfold. From what he explains from the beginning all the way to the prologue, one could gather that he may not be the main character of this story. The unnamed narrator consistently acts as a passive character for the duration of the novel.
Have you ever swam in the ocean? Ever fought against the waves? Have you ever felt its intensity?? Oceans can be quite treacherous and rigid, but once you sink down beneath the water, all is calm and peaceful. In “The Ocean” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he paints an image of this by illustrating the waters and the men at sea.
In the stories, "The Lie," by Kurt Vonnegut and "Barn Burning," by William Faulkner, the main characters, Eli Remenzel & Colonel Sartoris (Sarty) Snopes, both mature from childhood into adulthood. This growth and maturity develops from having family support and a stable upbringing or perhaps their growth happened within their own self-consciousness. The main characters, in both these stories, use their inner maturity to be strong and courageous and make good decisions as they are growing up. In the story, "The Lie," Eli matures into adulthood.
With the novel being read from a ‘twelve’ year old whose history motivates his understanding, perception and interpretation of the events he encounters and interprets to the reader,
