Coming Of Age Research Paper

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Jane Hadfield Mr. Urmston Class English 1R Date 20 May 2024 Coming of Age Essay.

There is nothing more iconic than a coming of age story, whether it be new, old, fictional, or factual. A coming of age story is a story in which the main character is experiencing changes and maturing in life.Two very common themes of coming of age stories are developing empathy and finding identity. One example of a coming of age story is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, in this story, the main character Holden Caulfield becomes more empathetic. Another example is Lather and Nothing Else by Hernando Tellez where the main character, the barber, finds his identity.

A big coming of age theme is developing empathy. In the story Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger protagonist Holden Caulfield develops empathy. The premise of the
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A story that displays finding identity is Lather and Nothing Else by Hernando Tellez. This story is about a barber who is secretly a revolutionary and one day the enemy captain comes in for a shave. The barber is faced with a choice. He considers murdering the captain, but decides against it. A specific moment when the barber finds his identity is when he is shaving Captain Torres’ throat. The barber after this realizes that killing is not who he is. “I am a revolutionary but not a murderer.” (Tellez) This shows how the barber came to the realization that he was only a barber and even though he believed in the cause he couldn’t go through with it. The barber in the short story Lather and Nothing Else finds his identity and the fact that he is a barber and that is all he is.

To conclude, an important coming of age theme for the main character in The Catcher in the Rye is developing empathy, and a main theme of Hernando Tellez’s Lather and Nothing Else is finding identity. Coming of age stories are very prevalent and many people relate to them or experience a similar development in their own