Mature Theme in Literature Essay Example

Coming of age means the attainment of prominence, respectability, or maturity. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer By Mark Twain, “Living in Rings” by Anne Atwell-McLeod, and “Practically Triplets” by Hallie Herz prove how maturing can lead to things coming and going, but most are undecided and waiting to happen. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is about a boy who grows up, meets new friends, and accidentally gets involved in a mysterious murder. “Living in Rings” is about the new and old phases of an individual's life and how various parts of life come and go. “Practically Triplets” is about growing away from childhood friends and learning to let go of memories and make room for new ones. Coming of age is the transition between childhood and adulthood oftentimes showing how a person develops physically and emotionally as they learn the change through shifting relationships, and accepting that things in life may not be so certain. Coming of age is how a person develops as they learn the change through shifting relationships. Tom Sawyer is an example of this because his relationships strengthen throughout the story. One example where he shows this is when he is in the cave with Becky. Tom needs to find a way out for both of them as quickly as he can, without losing hope: “'All right- That’ll do. Only if you get married, I’ll be more lonesome than ever.’ ‘No, you won’t. You’ll come and live with me. Now stir out of this an we’ll go to digging (Twain198).’” Tom’s relationship with Francica 2 Becky strengthened and grew as she put her trust in him and when she hoped he could find a way out of the cave. Another reason The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a great example is how some of his relationships break and fall apart throughout the story. One example of this is his relationship with Injun Joe. Injun Joe wants his revenge against him because Tom shared the truth. How Injun Joe was the murderer, and Muff Potter was innocent. While the world thought of him as a hero, he was too busy thinking about the revenge Injun Joe longed for: “Tom’s days were days of splendor and exultation to him, but his nights were seasons of horror. Injun Joe infested in his dreams, always with doom him his eye (Twain192).” The author uses this to show how even though relationships can strengthen, some relationships spoil. Tom Sawyer proves how people develop as they learn change through shifting relationships. In addition, “Living in Rings” is an example because of how the main character matures throughout their life, changing and letting go of past relationships and memories: “I gather up these pieces of my life. I put them away in a box of jewels (McLeod43-45).” The speaker uses the rings metaphorically. The different rings metaphorically show how life changes as you grow. Another reason “Living in Rings” is a good example is because it shows how new parts of life can come unexpectedly or fall right into place: “I wait for the next ring to fall into place (McLeod45).” The future is undecided, and the author shows how the rings simulate the new parts of life. “Practically Triplets” is another example of showing how a person develops because it shows the changing relationship between three best friends: “Do you remember? We were practically triplets, so close that the only way to separate us would be a long and painful surgery (Herz1-6).” The Speakers point of view shows how some relationships do not last as people mature. Another reason “Practically Triplets” is an example of showing how a person develops Is when the main Francica 3 character reflects on her past interactions with an old friend and wishes they were still just as close with them as before: “Now when you see me, you won’t even glance my way (Herz7-8).” The speaker explains how relationships come and go, even when you do not expect them or want them to. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, “Living in Rings”, and “Practically Triplets” show how a person develops as they learn the change through shifting relationships.  Secondly, coming of age shows that things in life may not be so certain. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is an example of this because it shows how his life drastically changed as the story continued. For example, when Tom finally stood up for Muff potter and revealed that it was Injun Joe who was the real murderer, people thought very highly of him: “Tom was a glittering hero once more… (Twain192)” Tom went from a normal kid who was constantly getting into trouble. The author showed him maturing into a hero that now the whole town looks up to. Another reason Tom is a great example is that Tom reacted when he and Becky were in the cave. He showed heroic and leadership capabilities that he did not show at the beginning of the novel: “Becky would watch his face for an encouraging sign, and he would say cheerily: ‘ Oh it’s all right. This ain’t the one, but we’ll come to it right away! (Twain233)’” Even though Tom found himself in an unexpected situation, he was confident he would not give up. “Living in Rings” is another example that shows how things in life may not be so certain. This is shown when the speaker talks about their future, and what rings will soon be in their life: “I wait for the next ring to fall into place (McLeod45).” The speaker uses the rings metaphorically as if they are waiting for the next unknown step in their life. Another reason “Living in Rings” is an example is because of how the speaker shows how phases come and go over time, and some things just Francica 4 are not meant to stay. “The rings of fleeting fads… outgrown by the end of the week (McLeod20-28).” The speaker outgrows the rings, which simulates a person’s life. Letting go of certain things is mandatory in life, and is why the speaker uses this metaphor. Lastly, “Practically Triplets” is an example of how things in life may not be so certain because of how people do not stay forever in an individual's life: “But you must remember, after our separation, the only words you said to me that whole year were I like your shirt (Herz33-38).” The speaker uses their relationship with their old friend to show how they have grown apart over time, even though the speaker still misses the memories they shared. Another example is when the speaker reminisces about how close they used to be, and wonders if the old friend ever feels the same way towards their long-lost relationship: “We were practically triplets, so close. Don’t you remember? (Herz39-41).” This shows how even though friends seem to last forever, many things in life are never certain. Lastly, Coming of age is the transition between childhood and adulthood oftentimes showing how a person develops physically and emotionally as they learn the change through shifting relationships, and accepting that things in life may not be so certain. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain was just a boy who wanted to be mischievous but had to gain the bravery he needed to save his loved ones. “Living in Rings” by Anne Atwell McLeod is the unpredictable, constantly changing way of life. “Practically Triplets” by Halie Herz is about how even the strongest bonds fade over time. Even though these texts are very different, they all show the characters maturing and overcoming obstacles along the way.