There are two kinds of people in the world: immature and mature. The process of physical growth can easily be seen by the naked eye- from a newborn, slowly progressing into a child and adult. However, this does not directly translate to maturity. An adult’s behavior can be immature and a child’s behavior can be mature. How is this possible? What are the factors that draw a distinct line between maturity and immaturity?
One key factor of maturity is retaining individualism by not conforming to society. For example, in Anthem, the narrator Equality lives in a bleak, dystopian future where all expressions of individualism are suppressed “for all men must be alike” (Rand 3). At first, Equality believes he is “born with a curse” and registers his…show more content… Just like Equality, Leopard Man in “The Sociology of Leopard Man” refuses to suffer from “the world’s most common but dangerous physiological disorder-” conformity (Feys 1). Unlike everyone else who obsesses over “the desire to fit in,” he “enjoy[s] the benefits modern society offers without becoming dependent on society” (Feys 1-2). Leopard Man is more mature than the “ordinary people… [who] fear what they don’t understand” because he is “free… from social pressures… [in his own] paradise on Earth” (Feys 1). The protagonist, Antigone, in Antigone also parallels Equality as she defies the norms dictated by King Creon and instead devotes to “do [her] part…[as] there is nothing shameful in piety to a brother” (Sophocles 83, 93). As opposed to her sister, Ismene, who has “no strength...to defy the State,” Antigone sacrifices her life for her beliefs and buries Polyneices in honor of the “laws which the gods have established” (Sophocles 84). Throughout the tragedy, Sophocles depicts Antigone as a resolute and heroic protagonist who pits her individual free will against the uncontrollable forces of fate and unjust…show more content… For instance, Joyce uses the characterization of the narrator in “Araby” to convey that growing up in a restrictive environment leads to disillusionment and ultimately maturity. The narrator is initially characterized as a typical Catholic schoolboy with an idolizing crush on an older girl. He faces hypocrisy and is surrounded by the dreary environment of “cold, empty, gloomy rooms” and silent, dark streets (Joyce 846). Despite his stifling environment, he maintains hope and optimism through his imagination. A distinct change occurs in the narrator’s characterization after his disappointing experience at Araby where the shopkeeper talks to him “out of a sense of duty” (Joyce 847). Consequently, the narrator comes to a mature, but agonizing realization that his efforts to win the heart of Mangan’s sister are pointless and “[sees himself] as a creature driven and derided by vanity” (Joyce 847). By facing the unexpected reality at Araby, he “[burns] with anguish and anger” towards society and himself and finally matures through understanding his false perception of the world. This clearly demonstrates that new viewpoints arise to cope with the cruel actualities of life and fuel maturity to develop. Similar to the narrator of “Araby,” To Kill a Mockingbird is told through the hindsight of the adult narrator Scout. Her experiences in Maycomb gradually teach her to be more introspective and perceptive. The complete
