Mentor/s
Dr. Richard M. Magee
Abstract
Growing up is hard to do, but everyone has to do it. This commonality is what draws readers to the coming of age genre. From novels as well-known as The Catcher in the Rye and The Secret Life of Bees to lesser known novels like I am the Messenger, the coming of age genre finds different ways to say the same thing. Each of the novels that I will be discussing has their own unique story line but all strive to reach the same conclusion; each protagonist must learn to trust their own voice and instincts. Parents obviously play an important role in helping their children learn to grow and find their voices. However, children must eventually learn to trust themselves. While all the obstacles are different in each protagonist’s lives, the characters must look inward to find the answers they seek. Trusting in one’s own voice is an important part of growing up and the authors try to capture this moment in life within each of the protagonists.
An important part of growing up is becoming a part of a group of friends or family for inclusion. In these friends and family groups, young adults are able to form their social identity, “a person’s sense of who they are based on their group membership(s)” (McLeod). The protagonist of these novels are considered outsiders, relying almost entirely on themselves. Their social identity have formed based on their lack of connection to other people. Holden Caulfield, in The Catcher in the Rye, prefers to be alone as other people annoy and distract him. While both Lily Owens and Ed Kennedy, from The Secret Life of Bees and I am the Messenger respectively, each have only a handful of people they interact with on a friendly level. It is because they are outcasts and alone in the world that they must truly trust themselves.
College and Major available
English
Location
Panel A: UC 108
Start Day/Time
4-21-2017 11:00 AM
End Day/Time
4-21-2017 12:15 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Trusting Your Voice: A Coming of Age Novel
Panel A: UC 108
Growing up is hard to do, but everyone has to do it. This commonality is what draws readers to the coming of age genre. From novels as well-known as The Catcher in the Rye and The Secret Life of Bees to lesser known novels like I am the Messenger, the coming of age genre finds different ways to say the same thing. Each of the novels that I will be discussing has their own unique story line but all strive to reach the same conclusion; each protagonist must learn to trust their own voice and instincts. Parents obviously play an important role in helping their children learn to grow and find their voices. However, children must eventually learn to trust themselves. While all the obstacles are different in each protagonist’s lives, the characters must look inward to find the answers they seek. Trusting in one’s own voice is an important part of growing up and the authors try to capture this moment in life within each of the protagonists.
An important part of growing up is becoming a part of a group of friends or family for inclusion. In these friends and family groups, young adults are able to form their social identity, “a person’s sense of who they are based on their group membership(s)” (McLeod). The protagonist of these novels are considered outsiders, relying almost entirely on themselves. Their social identity have formed based on their lack of connection to other people. Holden Caulfield, in The Catcher in the Rye, prefers to be alone as other people annoy and distract him. While both Lily Owens and Ed Kennedy, from The Secret Life of Bees and I am the Messenger respectively, each have only a handful of people they interact with on a friendly level. It is because they are outcasts and alone in the world that they must truly trust themselves.
