Coming of Age

Education, no matter what form it takes, is a part of the process of maturation, of leaving childhood behind: therefore, both the book’s title and its content suggest that its core thematic element is a consideration of that experience – or, in traditional narrative terms, a “coming of age.” In that context, the phrase tends to refer to any story in which a character begins, in one way or another, the process of becoming an adult, engaging with adult thoughts, experiences, and realities. For Regina, that process begins with searching, continues with what amounts to selfish grasping at what she believes she has found, and eventually concludes with an experience of selflessness. In other words, she has grown from a childish belief that nothing in the world matters other than what she wants, into a more adult belief that at times, it is important...