Aging with Ella

The first week of classes, we discussed what coming-of-age meant. Was it a long drawn-out series of events, or one big moment in a person’s life that forever changes them? Was it a loss of innocence or the gaining of maturity? Coming-of-age stories can fit many different scenarios and span genres. So where does Jason’s story fit in to all of this? Much of Jason’s story revolves around the acceptance of himself intersected with the realization of the toxicity of the (masculine) social structures that surround him. To give us even more insight into his story, Jason narrates the entire book for us. The events seem so dramatized, which at first may seem like a writing fault, but show us exactly how Jason is feeling as a middle school boy. In class people suggested that the way the bullying was described was unrealistic or that some parts of the story seemed more magical than true to life. When I was first reading it, these mystical parts made it less coming-of-age to me. I wasn’t able to...

     It’s a complex read, not only in its references and word choice but also in its themes. I almost felt like I wasn’t qualified to read this novel -- I hadn’t had enough English classes or read enough classic novels to truly understand the message Bechdel was trying to send. I felt ostracized as a reader and silly for even attempting to understand the novel. In a book where so much is open-ended and up for interpretation, I struggled to even understand the facts laid out on the page.      While reading, I found myself often wondering who this novel was written for. So many popular coming-of-age stories have a clear sequence of events with an ending where the conflicts in the story are resolved. It not only allows readers to identify with a character but also to see that character get a happy ending. Fun Home doesn’t have a linear sequence of events and has no real conclusion. It seems like it’s written less with the audience in mind and more to help...

     For most of the end of the novel, we see Esther receiving treatment in a mental institution. We can see her improvement, which is clearly a result of this treatment. Being in a hospital allows Esther an escape from society and its expectations. There are no expectations of good grades, internships, scholarships, or relationships. It allows an isolated environment where Esther is able to get the help she needs. The staff there have a clear recovery plan suited for her specifically, compared to the group environment at the public hospital. I think Esther’s story would have ended very differently if not for her access to a private, female mental health facility.      The clearest difference we can see is with her experience with the electro-convulsive therapy. In her experience with Dr. Gordon, the traditional suburban doctor ideal, the therapy is painful. She compares it with the execution of the Rosenburgs – some sort of punishment. “I thought my bones ...

I was left feeling like the story was unresolved. The focus is so intensely on describing Holden’s feelings which are only beginning to change at the end of the story. Our society is enamored with coming-of-age stories because they provide hope. We can relate to the characters as misfits and as they grow, we’re able to aspire to be them, restoring our faith in coming-of-age. The Catcher in the Rye does not offer this experience to us. Being able to relate to a character is invaluable and Holden acts as this character for many. However, a particularly powerful narrative is one where that relatable character makes it out the other side, something we don’t have the chance to see Holden do fully. I think this fact changes the effectiveness of his story. I won’t deny that The Catcher in the Rye is a coming-of-age narrative. It details Holden’s own feelings of distaste of coming-of-age in general that I believe many are able to relate to. That relatability of a character struggling with ...

       My Girl (1991) takes us on a journey in the ever-changing life of eleven-year-old Vada Sultenfuss. Her mother died when she was born and her father runs a funeral home, giving her a strange and obsessive relationship with death. Her father often neglects Vada, and her feelings of isolation from her father only increase when he finds love with a cosmetologist, Shelly. Her best friend, Thomas J, the only one who truly understands her, dies, leaving her to deal with her struggles alone. My Girl is a heart wrenching account of both the beauty and pain of growing up, exemplified through Vada’s story of loss and growth. Throughout the movie, we see Vada experience lots of traditional events that symbolize her aging. She has her first kiss with Thomas J, and for the first time in the movie, her aloof attitude towards what boys think about her starts to change. She gains a heightened awareness of what boys think of her and her desire to be pretty in their eyes com...