Coming of Age Message

The message of the coming of age story is simple..... all teens want to claim their indepedence and establish an identity separate from their parents..... it's part of grwoing up. Safety is a major concern, staying within a certain set of boundaries is inegral, as well as the ability to separate appearances from reality. The story starts by describing Connie’s search for independence as she nears adulthood. She excitedly runs across a highway to a fast food restaurant filled with older teenage boys and popular music. Like many young people she experiments with her persona, adopting a different set of mannerisms when with her peers. Connie has begun to distance herself from her parents’ protection and control: she lies about going to the movies in order to see a boy and pretends to dislike a wild friend her mother is concerned about. During one of her surreptitious outings, Connie meets Arnold Friend, who will exploit her desire for independence and her yearning to leave her childhood behind. Through emotional and potentially physical violence, he forces her transition into the adult world, brutally severing her from the life she knows. Connie’s tentative teenage move away from her parents and towards independence has been unnaturally and disturbingly hastened.