Coming of Age

On a fundamental level, the action and characters of the narrative are both defined by a central thematic experience that functions at the core of an entire literary genre – the experience of coming of age. The term is used to describe an experience, or series of experiences, which cause a young person to leave the ideals and innocence of childhood behind and become more of an adult. In that sense, Older Sequoyah’s consideration and exploration of his younger self’s relationships with his mother, the Troutts, Rosemary, and ultimately with himself are essentially the story of his growing up.

In terms of his relationship with his mother, Sequoyah “comes of age” as he realizes that they are separate individuals, with their own struggles and their own need to recover from the traumas in their lives. More specifically, he comes to realize that he...