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COMING OF AGE
Coming of age is the transitional stage of a person from childhood to adulthood. It occurs all through adolescence, marked by a lot of emotional changes. It allows the individual to attain recognition, prominence, and maturity in society. Some numerous novels and films explore this process. The Catcher in the Ryle and Northanger Abbey explains the theme of coming of age by exploring two teenagers’ lives. Both novels detail the emotional rollercoaster and challenges young adults face in their quest to understand the world around them. Coming of age is a definitive period that strips off childhood innocents and allows the development of mature adults to comprehend and integrate the world around them.
Northanger Abbey tells the story of a young woman named Catherine Morland. Catherine is described as an open, active, cheerful, and noisy child with tomboy characteristics. However, during adolescence, she became more beautiful and developed a love for a reading of Gothic novels. Her perception of the world was informed by the novels she read. At seventeen years of age, Catherine had a very active imagination, no love interest, and did not know how to read people. She could not tell that her friend Isabella was subservient to her opinions. Her inability to interpret people’s behavior got her into a lot of trouble throughout the book.
The Catcher in the Ryle details the life of a 16-year-old boy named Holden Caulfield. He told the story from a tuberculosis restroom. His voice bitter and cynical. He refused to recount his early life, which informed that he was troubled by a catastrophic event in his past. One that he had no deal with properly. It is later revealed that he had lost his brother to cancer three years ago, which could cause his bitterness and troubled mind. Throughout the story, Holden observes the adults around him and tries to evaluate their behaviors, comparing them to his young-adult views.
Love is a significant theme in becoming an adult. It defines relationships in adulthood. Adolescents develop the ability to distinguish between the manipulative and overbearing relationships from respectful ones. In Northanger Abbey, Catherine starts as a naïve teenager with no love interest. Then she meets Henry, and she is hooked to his mysteriousness. She develops a yearning for him and later falls in love. However, the inability to read people makes her blind to Henry’s romantic interests and John’s manipulation. She also develops a very close relationship with Isabella, oblivious that Isabella is using her. Over time, she began to understand love as it was between her and Henry. She also incorporates her personal views that a woman in love cannot flirt with another man. Finally, she can understand emotional connections; appreciate and reciprocate Henry’s love.
The Catcher in the Ryle addresses the theme of love through Holden’s loneliness and the desire to find someone to reciprocate his desire. He tries to make emotional connections with several ladies in vain. He tries to connect with his friend’s mother and even hook up with a prostitute unsuccessfully. His longings are shaped by nostalgia, and they are insatiable. He visits his teacher, meets with an older friend, goes out with his former girlfriend, and even reaches out to his sister, but he is not satisfied. He is unable to apply himself in his studies and has a disdain for society. He views everyone as corrupt and ‘phony.’ He wishes to flee from civilization and live the rest of his life self-made and disconnected from other people. This prevents him from opening up to anyone emotionally. He ends up in a cycle of a loveless life of cold and excessive smoking, which lands him in the rest tuberculosis room.
Transition to adulthood brings about the need for separation and independence. As a result, teenagers tell many lies to feel in control or create a false image. Isabella was a deceitful liar. She often spoke from both sides of her mouth. Catherine had a difficult time understanding her as she would say one thing and do the opposite. She also lied that she and James had discovered that “their tastes were the same’. In a real sense, she was transforming herself into the person she thought he wanted. John was also fond of making remarks that were neither clear nor true ‘idle assertions.’ He used this to push for agendas that served only himself. Catherine could not identify or tell a lie. Unlike John and Isabella, she was considerate of other people. Eventually, she was able to identify the lies and confront them.
Holden was obsessed with phonies. He saw them everywhere. This might have been his most significant problem with the world. He thought everybody was a phony. He went on to say that he left Elkton Hill because it was full of phonies, coming in through the windows. He accused the headmaster, Mr. Haas, of being the biggest of them because he discriminated against funny-looking parents. He also accused Stradlater of being a secret snob and shaving with a rusty razor, full of lather and hair. He lied to Ernest Morrow’s mother about her son’s character, as well as his name. His lie was uncalled for unless he was not comfortable telling her how ill-mannered her son was. He went on to say that Ernest was as sensitive as a toilet seat. Holden liked to exaggerate things. He said the conversation between Sally and the man was the phoniest you have ever heard in your life. It made him ‘set to puke.’
These stories give detailed relatable accounts of coming of age. In both stories, the protagonists start as innocent and naïve individuals. They are exposed to several social and emotional challenges that call for their comprehension and interpretation. This allows them to understand their society and develop their own identity, which they carry into adulthood. Catherine was able to understand her environment and develop a strong identity. She had Henry on her side, who offered valuable insight into the development of her character. Holden was unable to make any valuable connections. His childhood trauma had made him bitter to the world and its people. He struggled to comprehend his world and ended up in a restroom.