Coming of Age

Augustine in his infancy and youth is clever, but out of control. He needs to mature and grow. It takes Augustine a long time to understand that he has control of his own will. For a long time he makes excuses for his sins and excesses, saying that evil forces are responsible for his actions. When he is little, he has to be scolded or beaten by his elders to cooperate in studying. In his youth, he finds that he is obsessed with lust and loving someone and being loved. When he is successful getting the object of his lust, only then does he becomes confused and unhappy again. Later in his life, Augustine controls his physical lust somewhat, but has a strong desire to be recognized for his superior intellectual gifts. It is not enough for him to only be a good master of rhetoric...