Coming of Age

Over the course of the narrative, protagonist Nicholas Hall has experiences that, in many ways, parallel those of many protagonists of many other coming-of-age stories: illusions are shattered, uncomfortable truths are discovered, and a new, more mature sense of self emerges as a result.

Nick begins the story as something of a child, in that he has a somewhat naïve set of beliefs about himself, about his life, and about the world that he feels relatively confident in. His family life is relatively happy (even with his somewhat routine resentment towards his father); he has discovered something he loves (soccer) that he believes is the most important thing in his life; and he has discovered things that he hates (language and the bullying Eggleston twins) that he believes will never be anything other than a pain. For Nick, there is a sense that...