Coming of Age

In Stephen King’s Hearts in Atlantis, Bobby, Pete, and Sully-John all recount coming-of-age experiences. Coming of age is all about loss of innocence as one learns the hard lessons of life. In “Low Men in Yellow Coats,” 11 year-old Bobby learns adulthood is more difficult than he ever imagined it would be. Pete learns that adulthood is about making good choices, both in the causes one supports and the friends one keeps in “Hearts in Atlantis.” In the story “Why We’re in Vietnam,” Sully-John is among the teens forced to grow up quickly amid the horror of war.

Bobby’s story of growing up can be traced by his attitude toward the adult library card his mother gave him for his birthday. Bobby had wanted a bike for his birthday, but he decided that the adult library card was a good gift because...