Sexuality In Alice Bonnard's Jealousiness

In the passage from Maxine Clair’s “Cherry Bomb,” the adult narrator shares her memories of her fifth-grade summer world. Through the use of literary techniques, Clair clearly depicts the naivety and youthfulness of the adult narrator’s fifth-grade summer.

As said by Louise J. Kaplan, “Adolescence represents an inner emotional upheaval, a struggle between the eternal human wish to cling to the past and the equally powerful wish to get on with the future”. In the story “The bicycle’’, by Jillian Horton, Hannah is going through her adolescent age which brings a lot of emotional changes in her life. Hannah was a very devoted, ignorant and hard working girl in the start of the story. When she was 15 years old she slowly changed and now wanted to be independent and didn 't like to follow the rules anymore. By the end of the story, she broke all the rules and wanted to follow her heart 's desires. In the story “The bicycle’’, by Jillian Horton, Hannah experiences a transition from an ignorant, obedient and disciplined child to a rebelling, disobedient and independent adolescent.

In Sandra Cisneros' short story, "Eleven," Cisneros introduce Rachel as an awkward, insecure, and frustrated girl o n the first day of her eleventh year. As she awakens on her birthday, Rachel becomes overwhelmed by the expectations of her age. Although Rachel is now a year older, she expects to feel like an adult and suddenly become more mature. Rachel, however remains a shy and introverted young girl, similar to the way she has felt for years of her life. Through the use of repetition, similes and a childlike tone, Cisneros defines Rachel's complex ideas through child-like language.

Teenagers in the 1960’s were facing a time of change with the civil rights movement and the development of hip culture. The lives of teenagers contrast the lives of their family because they are both adopting different personalities with different interests in music and activities. In the story Where are you going, Where have you been, Joyce Carol Oates 's depicts a specific example of the changing 1960’s middle class America by describing the story of a teenage girl named Connie who undergoes her own tribulation with a older man who attempts to take advantage of her body.Family relationships are one of the main cores of a character in characters as they act differentlly depending their situation, and most of the time teenagers are rebellious.

Everyone goes through the transition from childhood to adulthood. Boys become young men, and girls become young women; this is a significant stepping stone in the “journey to maturity.” Of course, becoming mature does not happen over night. Instead, it is a long process of learning from experience, which gives the young adult a new outlook on life and a new set of skills. The initiation theme is discussed in the article “Greasy Lake,” by critic Dennis Vanatta who argues that the author T.C. Boyle has created a narrator who is reflecting on his youth and an evening that would prove to be his stepping stone in the journey to maturity. Vanatta is correct; the narrator undergoes a rite of passage at Greasy Lake. In the beginning of the story,

Judith Ortiz Cofer’s story called Volar: The Norton Introduction to Literature (Mays 277), is an interesting account of a young girl’s dream to be more than what she is today. She loves comic books and her absolute favorite superhero is Supergirl. She adores this character because she is beautiful, strong and in control. The fantasy goes into minute detail down to the superhero’s long blonde hair, sleek muscles and her being aerodynamic. Pretty impressive details for a young girl! She’s also in control and can ruffle feathers of individuals that do her or her family harm. The landlord is a perfect example of someone she can have fun with as a superhero. She can mess with his evil love of money and power. Supergirl is everything that this young girl believes she is not. Her dreams of ultimate power take her far from what she believes is an ordinary existence with her parents. She loves her fantasy world as she can do anything she wants, as only Supergirl could.

The appeal of adulthood and independence reaches its apex in fervent children. However, Maria Mazziotti Gillan, poet of My Daughter at 14, Christmas Dance, 1981, conveys the paternal perspective of viewing one’s own kin experiencing the “real” world through her daughter’s first relationship. The Family of Little Feet, written by Sarah Cisneros, illuminates the negativities of young girl’s eagerness to physically develop in hope of acquiring attention from possible suitors. While both pieces of literature possess varying perspectives of epiphanies, Gillan and Cisneros divulge the significance of cherishing one’s youth, as the realities of maturity divest children of their innocence.

In the coming of age story “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates uses symbolism, conflict, and the third person to foreshadow fifteen-year-old Connie’s unfortunate, yet untimely fate. While one may think that the conflict stems from Connie’s promiscuity, it is clear to see her promiscuity is only a result to a much bigger conflict, her mother’s constant nagging and disapproval, alongside the lack of attention from her father. the author paints a vivid picture of what happens when a fifteen-year-old girl such as Connie goes elsewhere to find to find the love, attention, and approval that she lacks at home. All which is vital for her growth and wellbeing as a person.

Sexuality is the most notorious and common sign of development in adolescence. “The House on Mango street”, by Sandra Cisneros is a coming of age novel, where Esperanza transitions from a girl into a young teen. In her journey, Esperanza comes across many challenges, she is forced to grow up by life’s adversities. In the short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, a mother advises her daughter and scolds her into becoming a decent woman. In her guidance, the mother is worried about her daughter’s sexual activity and warns her about the consequences of improper behavior. “A&P” by John Updike, is also a short story where a boy named Sammy comes across his sexuality when he spots three girls wearing bikinis entering the

Throughout all of history, the actions of teenagers have been scrutinized by adults. This scrutiny can be seen in short stories such as, John Updike’s “A & P,” as well as Max Apple’s “Stepdaughters.” For “Stepdaughters” we can see the rebellion through the 15-year-old Stephanie’s continuation of shot-putting, despite her mother’s disapproval and her stepfathers ‘neutral’ position. While in “A & P” the rebellious behavior of wearing their bathing suits into the store is disapproved upon by the manager, whereas the employee feels they have done no wrong. The stories’ conflicts have similar features: antagonists who oppose the choices of the teenage girls and protagonists who support the girls.

Looking for Alibrandi is a novel about a teenage girl, and as the main character, she has a lot of what she calls ‘problems’ but they more like small speed bumps along the way and is struggling to cope with her teenager existence.

In Joyce Carol Oates “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”she paints the picture of a teenage girl whose mother is jealous of her, father is absent, and sister is twenty-four and lives at home. Connie is a fifteen year old girl who sneaks around with her friends, is a bit boy crazy and is very much a daydreaming teenager. The beginning of the story starts off rather innocently, then through a series of hints scattered throughout the story, takes a turn for the worse when Connie’s eyes are opened to a face of evil no girl should ever have to experience and no boy should ever become. Oates reveals how family relationships directly and indirectly affect the way teenagers act and how it impacts their search for self-identity.

“Marigolds”, a short story written by Eugenia Collier, conveys the message of the struggles upon approaching adulthood. Similar to “Marigolds”, Anne Estevis addresses the theme of maturity in the story known as “The Whistle”. The theme can be depicted by the character’s actions and realizations. However, the theme being set in the past, allows it to be pertinent to modern day life. The reasons being: children back then were burdened with more responsibilities, the maturation age was younger back then, and historical events and settings can provide symbolism yet, also personal connections.

As humans, we come across new experiences everyday. With these new experiences comes an innocence, because they are just that, new. They are situations we have never been in before, so the lack of knowledge that comes with something new also provides purity. While we obviously gain experience as we grow older and figure out the inner workings of the society, most of us still find ourselves in these new situations. For example you don 't know how things work on your first day of a new job. Just like you don’t know how to handle the death of your beloved until it happens. Experience is not a state of being a person simply out grows from innocence. Both are states of mind that a person continues to go between throughout their lifetime. While this is an opinion, it brings to question the line between innocence and experience.

Oh, the dubious honor of being a teenage girl. At once rewarded with excessive responsibility and dismissed as foolish, teenage girls are callously dismissed by the artistic, musical, and literary communities as an unworthy audience. Bands with primarily teenage girls as an audience are derided as fluff and pop; critics