Coming of Age

Coming of age is an important theme in the novel “Red Queen” by Victoria Aveyard. Coming of age involves the personal, spiritual, moral, or emotional growth and maturation of an individual often based on real world experiences, events, or mistakes. In the novel, it is the character of Mare who comes of age, and her journey of self-discovery and growth both influences, and is influenced by, the overall plot.

When the novel begins, Mare has had a strong dose of the real world. A member of the lowly Red class, she has been forced to live with little in poverty. In order to help her family scrape by, she pickpockets, and has been in trouble with the law numerous times. She detests the ruling Silver classes, believing they are the source of all evil in the world and are the source of all ills...