Coming of Age

Coming of age is a major and overarching theme in the novel “The Chocolate Touch” by Patrick Skene Catling. Coming of age involves the personal, spiritual, moral, or emotional growth and maturation of an individual often based on real world experiences. In the novel, coming of age affects the character of John Midas. John Midas is not a bad kid. He is respectful and relatively well-behaved, but he has one major flaw which brings about two negative character traits.

John’s major flaw is his love of chocolate. This brings out his selfishness and his greediness. When the novel begins, John will do anything to get chocolate; he will sneak it before meals, spend all his lunch money on chocolate, will get it from his friends. When John does come into possession of chocolate, he will not share it with anyone else. He puts...