In the poem "Oranges" by Gary Soto, a young boy narrates his story of a first love that helped him transition into his older self. The scene opens up to the young boy ready to pick up his girl for a trip to the drugstore. In his pocket he holds two oranges, which are weighing him down, and a nickel. After arriving at the store, only a moment goes by before the girl "lifted a chocolate that cost a dime" (32,33). Knowing he doesn't have enough money, the boy chooses to stay calm and to place five cents and one orange on the counter. The boy's eyes connect for a brief instant with those of the cashier and she understands "very well what it was all about" (41,42). We know this because she allows him to take the chocolate with the payment of half the price and the orange. After collecting their treats, the children head down the road a few blocks until they come to a stop and both open their snacks. At first glance, this poem may seem to be about the first love and opening up truly for the first time with someone. However, when closer analyzed, the words chosen, comparisons made, and overall tone helps a reader to discover that the poem is really about growing up and giving up childlike innocence for maturity.
Another story that cohesively translates this idea of losing your childhood innocence is J.D. Salinger's, The Catcher in the Rye. In this tale, a young man, Holden Caulfield, spends a few days on his own pondering the idea that one day he will no longer possess his innocence. Throughout the story, Holden is faced with the mature world, but only by the terrible things in it as he experiences alcohol, prostitution, cigarettes, and possibly sexual abuse from a trusted adult. Across his journey, Holden is trying to get someone to listen to his ideas on losing his innocence only to be turned down until he gets one person to listen who ends up being the trusted adult. It is not until towards the end of the story, when Holden sees his younger sister riding on a carousel, does he finally realize that growing up does not mean losing your innocence and going into a mature world, but merely traveling round and round in a never ending circle of both.
Being free from corruption and moral law is what you are given when you are innocent. This gives anyone good reason to be wary of losing their innocence. In both of these examples, children go through their transition into maturity through a particular experience or experiences. In life, this is only a one time thing and though some get through it swimmingly, it could be very difficult for others. Which raises the question that when we make this transition, what really happens to us? Do we simply go off into the world of adults or do we still cling on to the child inside? In real life, we must wonder about those who could be so cold blooded in our eyes and how they entered maturity as compared to those who are the nicest people you will ever meet. Behavioral differences are something we need to understand more about humans in order to understand our own being and what makes someone a person. In conclusion, the transition from innocence to maturity can be different for people of all kinds and by studying the differences of people that go through it differently, we could further understand our own selves.
I do not own the image and found it here: https://itsphblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/587/
Another story that cohesively translates this idea of losing your childhood innocence is J.D. Salinger's, The Catcher in the Rye. In this tale, a young man, Holden Caulfield, spends a few days on his own pondering the idea that one day he will no longer possess his innocence. Throughout the story, Holden is faced with the mature world, but only by the terrible things in it as he experiences alcohol, prostitution, cigarettes, and possibly sexual abuse from a trusted adult. Across his journey, Holden is trying to get someone to listen to his ideas on losing his innocence only to be turned down until he gets one person to listen who ends up being the trusted adult. It is not until towards the end of the story, when Holden sees his younger sister riding on a carousel, does he finally realize that growing up does not mean losing your innocence and going into a mature world, but merely traveling round and round in a never ending circle of both.
Being free from corruption and moral law is what you are given when you are innocent. This gives anyone good reason to be wary of losing their innocence. In both of these examples, children go through their transition into maturity through a particular experience or experiences. In life, this is only a one time thing and though some get through it swimmingly, it could be very difficult for others. Which raises the question that when we make this transition, what really happens to us? Do we simply go off into the world of adults or do we still cling on to the child inside? In real life, we must wonder about those who could be so cold blooded in our eyes and how they entered maturity as compared to those who are the nicest people you will ever meet. Behavioral differences are something we need to understand more about humans in order to understand our own being and what makes someone a person. In conclusion, the transition from innocence to maturity can be different for people of all kinds and by studying the differences of people that go through it differently, we could further understand our own selves.
I do not own the image and found it here: https://itsphblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/587/