Coming of Age

This is the novel’s central theme, the aspect of what the story is “about” that entwines most thoroughly and consistently with its line of action (i.e. plot) and the development of its major character (i.e. the protagonist’s journey of transformation).

The phrase “coming of age” is commonly used in a wide range of literary and/or creative forms. It refers to a process of maturation, of a character (or characters) moving out of childhood / youth and into young adulthood. It is a process of losing innocence and gaining wisdom and insight; of learning about both the darker and lighter sides of being alive, and of being an individual; and of discovering more about the nature of life as a whole.

The concept of “Coming of Age” can have a wide range of manifestations, many of which appear in “Aristotle and...