Coming of Age

Coming of age is a recurring theme in the story, made more important because Jim is realizing for himself that he is young and has a lot of growing up to do. An example of this is seen when Jim and Uncle Al are traveling to Charlotte. During the trip, Jim is looking at the farms they are passing and suddenly realizes there are people living in those houses who don't even know Jim exists. This is an important sign of his emerging maturity because Jim is treated like the center of the universe by his mother and uncles. While they don't overly spoil him, he is aware that they are all protective of him and they provide him a comfortable life. Many young boys Jim's age would be required to work in the fields but Jim is allowed to work only when he wants. There...