Coming of Age

Coming of Age is an important theme in literature and in the book "100 Sideways Miles." This means the transition period in which a child becomes a young adult. There is no set age for this transition because it is different for each character. Some characters reach young adulthood through the natural progression of age and maturity while some children face traumatic situations which essentially force them to grow up more quickly than their peers.

In literature, Coming of Age usually features a protagonist who struggles with a belief system or other challenge in order to begin to identify as an adult. In "100 Sideways Miles," Finn comes of age as he views his life differently by the end of the story. Finn has been handicapped by being compared to a character in his father's popular science fiction book. Finn just wants to be normal and...