Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Peter Carstair’s motion picture “September” are two compelling works that explore the poignant theme of coming-of-age. While over thirty years separate the two pieces, both texts capture the raw emotions and difficulties of innocent children growing into mature adults in an ever-changing society. These changes are portrayed in many different way, but are most prominent through the racism in their surroundings, the character’s deep personal development and their loss of innocence.…
“My spirit takes journey, my spirit takes flight, could not have risen otherwise & I am not running... I am choosing.” Alike is an intelligent and poetically talented 17 year old girl. On the surface, Dee Rees’s Pariah (2011), is the coming of age story of African-American lesbian, Alike. Growing up in a traditional household that is sexually repressed and a society that is hateful towards her for being homosexual she finds solace in poetry and academics. Through her plight, the film intelligently layers the dark themes associated with the struggles of a gay teenager growing up in the inner city- gender, sexuality, family relations, hate, religion, ignorance, etc. But the film is very hopeful in that it contrasts the dark themes with pleasant moments of optimism. I am analyzing one of the final scenes in the Dee Rees’s Pariah (2011). The scene [@ 01:15:11] where Alike is reconciling with Arthur, her father, on the rooftop of Laura’s building. The rooftop scene encompasses the beauty of the morals of the narrative really well and at the same time contrasts the dark themes of the film in a manner that compliments the overall aesthetic of the production.…
This independent filmmaking would change the kinds of teen films we see as it would diverse the subjects among the films. Even when the films would become diverse, it would also tend to be geared towards teens who had the same experience, almost like the case of Pariah, it pertains to a broader type of audience and not just the black community. In her interview Dee Rees confronted this concern by stating that, “No one ever thinks of themselves as a supporting character in anyone else’s lives. You’re your own person and it about…
Trey had positive appraisal and proper guidance, which allowed him to feel good about himself and to know the differences between right and wrong. He had parents that were very involved when it came to things such as school and chores at home. Being raised this way you would think that his parents wouldn’t want him to be around kids such as Ricky and Doughboy but I think his father may have wanted to his son to have the exposure to see that he has parents to both love and care about him where his friends don’t to see how when you do the things that his friends do that you will get in trouble and end up dead or in jail. Ricky has a decent strong self-concept because he receives positive appraisal from his mother but unlike Trey does he does not receive the same guidance. In his mothers eyes Ricky could do no wrong. Still in high school Ricky was already a father his mother sees him kissing his girl friend and warns them that is how they got their first baby, Instead of getting on him that he should be extra cautious she casually brush’s it off. Ricky doesn’t have that same role model figure to learn from as Trey does even though he had plans to go to college he was only going so he could play football and hopefully one day be in the NFL his SAT scores weren’t high enough when a recruiter came to talk to him through the movie we see that he is trying hard to study for the test and after his death we find out that he got his score high enough to get the scholarship everyone always focused so much on football that no one ever really stressed education to him. Doughboy on the other hand never received positive appraisal and always received negative appraisal especially from his mother she always told him how he wasn’t any good and that he would never amount to anything. When it came to him and his brother if anything ever when wrong their mother always blamed it on doughboy. From the time he was young Doughboy was in and out of trouble and it ultimately killed…
By the end of the novel, Holden experiences a coming of age and shows signs that he is ready to enter adulthood. When Holden is sitting on the stairs of Phoebe’s school, he sees profanity written in the school. He rubs it off to avoid the children seeing it. He encounters more profanity, rubs it off, but then realizes that even if he rubs off all the profanity he can, there will always be more in the world. This shows Holden’s growth into a mature character. He realizes that he cannot protect children from seeing the profanity, as he cannot be the catcher in the rye for them. In addition, when Holden watches Phoebe reaching for the ring on the carousel, he concludes, “The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them” (Salinger 211). When Holden allows Phoebe to reach for the ring, it is evident that he is no longer trying to protect her from falling. Jeff Pettineo comments about Holden’s reaction to Phoebe reaching for the gold ring, “But Holden's admission to the reader that one has to allow kids to ‘reach for the ring’ despite a possible fall indicates, perhaps, that he is starting to come to terms with the ephemeral and dynamic nature of human existence” (Pettineo n.pag.). Holden begins to understand that no one can stop a child from falling from innocence, just as they cannot stop the child from falling off the carousel. Holden understands that he cannot be the catcher in the rye and that he will not always be there to protect Phoebe’s innocence. When it begins to rain at the carousel, Phoebe is covered by the carousel while Holden is soaked by the rain. The rain may be a symbol for a new beginning for Holden, as his immaturity and innocence is figuratively washed away. Phoebe is under cover to show that her innocence is not yet being washed away. Sandra Lott says about Holden and a character from another novel, “At the end…
Both text have a similar theme, they both compare someone being trapped in something. Both characters want to escape what they are trapped in. For example, in the story "Boy's Life" the character is stuck in school and can’t wait until the bell rings. Which means that he is trying to leave or escape the place he is in, but he is held for a longer time because the teacher wants to discuss something with him and he doesn’t pay attention when she is talking to him which means he doesn’t have patience to listen all he wants to do is leave.…
She was born on a busy summer night on September 13th 1918 in Brookline, Massachusetts. I always had the feeling that Rosie was a little different from the rest of us. On the day of her birth the midwife arrived late, and my theory is that this action deprived her brain of oxygen. We were proven right when she failed to advance from kindergarten and was deemed to suffer from intellectual disabilities. When this happened our parents began to conceal their third child from society.…
This movie-The Blind Side talks about how Michael Oher achieved his self-esteem during his adolescent time. Between the plots of the movie, we also included some development theories such as Erik Erikson’s psychosocial cognitive theory; Maslow’s hierarchy needs theory and also the operant conditioning theory that associated with Michael’s development.…
prosperity, but none of them reveal the way through which inequality is produced as it is done in Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life by American sociologist Annette Lareau. The author has analyzed the relationships of children with their families and the external world that differ depending on social class by making observations from primary school, conversing with students’ parents. As a result, Lareau identifies two parenting styles: concerted cultivation and the accomplishment of natural growth.…
Growing up the melanin in my skin had always been darker. As a child you start to pick out the differences but you never think anything of it until those differneces are coated with the venom of hatred. When they start dripping out of someone's mmout…
We all can't wait to grow up when we're young. The world is filled with all this possibility and wonder. I've been told ever since I was little that the world is my oyster; in other words, the world was completely opened to me and I could be anything I put my mind to. So I just couldn't wait to grow up. Being an adult seemed awesome and I wanted to skip over the kid stage and get to my life, start living and taking care of myself. I thought I knew it all and I was ready to prove it. I had this idea, this grand picture that I had painted in my mind of life and how it should turn out. I thought I knew it all, until the day that suddenly I didn't. They tell you to be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. Life decided it was…
As most children grow up, they are aware of their surroundings and take in everything they can understand which adds to their personality and their structure of life. As a child I developed at a level more advanced than the children around me. I learned to use a computer at the age of 3 years old. I read at an 8th-9th grade level while in the 5th grade. In addition, I could handle complex situations better than a average elementary student. The mindset I had as a child unlocked new doors for me. For example, I was not afraid to try new things and accept the lessons that came along with new opportunities. Also, I learned from my parents that going down the path of success isn’t always easy. Lastly, I experienced that life is filled with…
Since I grew up in a family with an abusive father, my response to conflict differs from most people. My father resolved conflict by shouting, degrading, and often physically abusing the other person. My mother’s response to conflict was to try to settle a compromise or walk away until her own frustration was no longer there. I think based off the conflict responses I observed growing up, my responses are a mixture of my parents. When in an intense argument with someone, I attack their character and then silence them out. Family members play a big part in how we resolve conflicts, because a good portion of our lives begin by us spending time with and watching our relatives. We, as a society, adapt skills and mannerisms from those closest to…
‘Babies’ is a documentary film which chronicles the first year of life of four babies spanning the globe. Documentarian Thomas Balmès fans out to the grasslands of Namibia, the plains of Mongolia, the high rises of Tokyo and the busy streets of San Francisco in a study of culture, societal structure, geography and tradition, along with parental love and the impact all these elements have on child rearing. In the hunting and gathering society of Namibia and pastoral Mongolia, Balmès follows Ponijao and Bayar and in postindustrial Tokyo and San Francisco we are introduced to Mari and Hattie. While the 1:18 film has no real dialogue, viewers are able to get a distinct feel for each baby’s personality, the role they play within the family structure and perhaps most importantly, the universal undying love the parents display towards their offspring with the ultimate goal to raise happy and healthy children.…
Since technology has become a part of just about everyone's daily routine, so has being contact with anyone and everyone. Jeff calling dad when he has car trouble, Alison texting her best friend to see what to do with her relationship issues. These are just some of the millions things people use technology for and from the outside nothing seems wrong. But what if we didn't have phones to call parent, friends, or anyone when "help" is needed? We would have to be, think, do things on our own.…