Coming Of Age

What Is Coming of Age? :

   Coming Of Age is when a young person's transitions from their childhood to their adulthood. So, for coming of age a young adult undergoes some situation and/or inner turmoil in his/her life, which helps them with their growth and development as a human being.Some young adults come to realization of reality when they face cruelty in the world, death, racism, violence and hatred. While others deal with friends,family and community issues.Some Books Are great for coming of age as a novel. Like the following:

• The Catcher In The Rye
• To Kill A Mocking Bird
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
• The Giver
• The Hobbit
• The Outsiders
• The Bluest Eye
• The Girl Who Fell From The Sky

     And much More Books. But One Book that i read What The Girl Who Fell From The Sky. The book was filled with a lot of situations that could of brought my main character to her coming of age. For one she had to deal with living in a new home with her grandmother. She realy didnt have much memory of ehat had happened to her mom, dad and brother. SHe also felt like a loner in the story. She was different than everyone else, because of the way she looked. She was the only girl with blue eyes and brown skin. yes, my main character was lost, but she knew for sure that she was black. She went through most of the changes teenage girls do at her age. School, boys, friends and foes, family problems, and that lust to be loved for who they really are.
   Each of these book tells a story. The story of some kids life that started off normal, But dramatically changed because of an issue that happened to them. And with that situation they came into realization of the world around them. They became a bit wiser,  and a step closer into adulthood.

Coming of age

                                 Coming Of Age Reading Response

          I am reading the book “The Girl Who Fell From The Sky”, by Heidi W. Durrow. In the book the main character is a girl named Rachel. She is living now living with her grandmother and her Aunt Loretta in a new town. From her past, to her present and to her future Rachel goes through many changes in her life. The three main changes that I noticed is the fact that she is living in a new town and shes trying to fit in, she is enrolled into a new school and she is living with her grandmother. Rachel starts of by being the smart, shy, well-behaved, and well mannered child. But throughout the book That changes little by little. She adopts to the new life, changes the way she dresses, the way she talks and her attraction to boys.

Rachel is feeling like “The New-Girl” and misses her Mor (which is a danish word for mother), her brother Robbie and her Pop (her Dad). Some things that her Aunt Loretta does reminds her of her Mor, and deep down she is still that danish girl from Portland, Oregon. I think this because Rachel is the new girl and everything and everyone is new to her. Yes, they may change the way she looks on the outside, and try to change the way she acts, but she will always be the same danish girl she always has been. For example, on page 2 Rachel says, “ When Mor was little she used to have two braids in her hair too.” But her aunt decides to do something different with her hair. To Rachel she knows it doesn’t matter if she didn’t agree, shes just a “Doll”. On page 3 Rachel says,“I see a girl in the mirror when shes done, and she is not me.”

       Coming to a new town, means a new Middle school for Rachel. I noticed in the beginning she wants to work hard and focus, even though shes being teased and bullied by the other kids. She usually just deals with it and holds back her tears. For example,in the beginning of the book there's a girl named Tamika Washington who goes to Rachel’s middle school bullied Rachel, she pulled her braids, teases her about the way she looks, and threatens to beat her up. Rachel is frightened by Tamika a tries to stay out of her way. But by the middle of the book her attitude changes. Yes, she still keeps up with her good grades, but she attracted more to boys and can't really tolerate the teasing. Tamika now goes to the same high school as Rachel, but things have changed. On page 170 Tamika says, “She a ho. Think she all cute. She fast like those white girls. She slept with half the basketball team. She touch my man I’ll slap her.” A Part of Rachel that wants to stop being sad, and to stop being hurt and not cry. Turns around so quick like she doesn’t even know herself and says, “FUCK OFF,” and punches Tamika so hard she stumbles back and her nose begins to bleed.

          At first Rachel doesn’t know much about her grandmother. For example on page 2 she says “ Grandma is still a stranger to me. I know only know a few things about Grandma. She's a gardener. She has soft hands, and she smells like lavender.” As she gets to know her grandmother more she does as she is told. She shows her grandmother and her friends respect and manners. She goes to church with her grandmother every Sunday. And she keeps her grades up and behaves herself. She and her grandmother never talk about Rachel's Mor or Her Pop, But they are always on Rachel's mind. But the older Rachel gets the more she actually notices about her Grandmother and the more she dislikes her. Like how shes almost always drinking and she becomes less close to her grandmother as she used to be. For example she stops going to church as often as she usually does. On page 150-151 Rachel and her grandmother get into and argument about Rachel’s Mother. Rachel does something shes never done before, she yells at her and says,” You're a damn lie- that newspaper story proves it. My mom didn’t do a damn thing!”

          In conclusion, Rachel goes through many changes in her life. And this is a great example of coming of age. Because just like Rachel, teens today are starting to grow up and learn more about themselves. They change either because of a situation or the people around them. Just like Rachel we may grow up having one set of personalities but a few years later they change, because we change. By the end of the book Rachel gains wisdom. “Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.”-Tom Wilson. Rachel is a good role model to most kids going through what shes going through. And its more that what meets the eye. I want the reader to think that growing up isn’t a bad thing, but its a way to experience more in life. To understand yourself better than when you where younger. To experience new knowledge and lessons of life.

                                                   

Promt

Commands, Advice and Directions adults give you. What do you agree/Disagree with?

1.            "Stay Away From Strangers"

              I disagree with this command. Yes, some strangers you should avoid and not talk to. But isn't everyone a stranger at first? Don't  you start off not knowing someone and until you talk to them or introduce your self that's when you start to get to know the person. So maybe this command can be verified.  Maybe for smaller children the ages 10 and younger tell them not to talk to adults they don't know. Random people on the streets. But telling kids not to talk to strangers is telling them not to talk to anyone they don't already know. But, i kinda agree with this command, because you dont always know who someone is. They can be a child molester, a kidnapper or a dangerous person. But i don't think this command is that effective because kids still talk to strangers and today they are being kidnapped, raped or harmed by people on the streets. Saying "stay away from strangers", is one thing but enforcing them to listen and do it is another.

     2.       "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
           
           I agree, no matter what happens in life, life will always go on. its a good thing to say to most teens. Especially when they are going on in their life and they feel as though the world has come to and end(trust me Ive had this feeling before), Telling them that life goes on is something that always helps. And this quote is true life does go on, a person dies, but life will still continue. Never let a dramatic event in your life.,stop you from living. but also take into account that as you grow up so do others and together they mature and see that the world is finally opening up for them.

Promt #3

Prompt Number 3: Who Am I? Who Was I? And Who I Want To Be?

•     Who Was I?

             I used to be the quiet, shy keep to myself kind of girl. I used to not really know who i was or who i wanted to become. Growing up was hard for me since i really didn't have my mother around, but someone that substituted for her. I also didn't know my father so i never had that "Father, Daughter" Felling. When i was young i always felt like and outsider. Like everyone else was against me. I was too shy to make friends, but i had some. I was loved by almost everyone for how sweet i was, and how smart and talented i was. I was always told by the adults around me " Your gonna be someone great, and helpful in this world". I was quiet at home, and most did what i had to do and didn't argue with my grandparents who i lived with. I drawed, sang , dance and had no worries in the world. That's who i was.

•    Who am i?

                I am that loud girl youll hear from a distance. I'm fun, funny and full of life. I like to try new things and meet new people.I'm loved by almost everyone except for the people that envy me. I have my own type of style and always try to stand out in my own way. I never follow the crowd, because like my grandfather said "I Am A Leader,Not A Follower". I know my friends like a book and i am the type of person that would always have your back no matter what. People know they can trust me and ccome to me when they need any type of help. My personality attracts everyone. I cant say im perfect, But im getting there. Yea i have my flaws and dealing with the process of growning up. Like haveing boyfriends, my family issues, friends and most of all the trust i have for most people. Im creative and i try not to make poeple bring me down, Thats who i am.

•     Who i want to be?

             I want to be someone that can help the world. Today i am a teen and i see that our world that we live in have a lot of issues. And i want to be that person to try and solve some of theses issues. I really care for almost anything, so things like homelessness and poverty really touch my heart. I wish to help those out there who don't have much, who are living out on the streets, who have no place for them and their family to be. Or i can help the world by saving lives. Either by being a doctor in a hospital or by being a police officer and making our streets of new york a better place for people to feel safe and live in. I say its not about the money its about the feeling you get from doing something good to others. I also want to be a mother and have a family. To be proud of what Ive done and be able to be happy. That's who i want to be.