Coming of Age

Jacob Have I Loved is a beloved coming-of-age novel that has been cherished for generations. Perhaps, one of the main reasons for this novel’s success is the realistic portrayal of Louise’s maturity from child to adult. In the first few chapters of the novel, the reader sees Louise as a boisterous, carefree thirteen-year-old proud of the fact that she can man her own fishing skiff and provide a bit of income for her family. Louise spends her days cracking jokes and dreaming about escaping off the island. In these scenes, she is clearly a child. As she matures into adulthood, however, the reader sees this carefree exuberance melt away to reveal a bitter, jealous teenager struggling to find her place in the world.

Louise’s realizations and maturations occur after she has her first period, a symbol of her physical transition into...