"The Red Dress"- Coming of Age Reflection

Each persons coming of age journey is different, but at the same time very similar because ultimately we all go through the same transformation.  This journey isn’t always easy or short, most of the time it’s a very tedious and enlightening experience. This journey of coming of age forces us to assimilate to our environment to be who others want us to be, and a newer more mature version of the childish us. These messages pertaining to coming of age are prevalent in the short story “The Red Dress” by Alice Munro. In this short novel it tells the journey one girl goes through to come of age and to transition into adulthood. The author shows through the narrator’s journey that when we come of age we are forced society to change into this new and reformed version of ones self that meets more of the expectation of society.

As one grows older and their identity becomes more mature and society starts to influence a person more than they can control. From the beginning to end of this short novel it drastically shows what and how this no named girl saw herself. For example in the beginning she had “Worn these clothes with docility, even pleasure, in the days when I was unaware of the worlds opinion”(Munro 1). This exemplifies the main message of the short story because it shows how, she was once unaware of these expectations society had for her, and that ones environment sometimes forces person to change. This may happen for many reasons, that include wanting to assimilate to our environment, and get into the norms of society.  People come of age to get a better understand of who they are and how they see themselves. 

Coming of age may sometimes be interpreted as a period of time where one was engulfed in awkward and uncomfortable situations that are helping a person shape their identity and create their self-image. People come of age to get a better understand of who they are and how they see themselves. For example, at the end of the short novel, “ Was it possible, could I believe it, was there nothing the matter with me after all?” (Munro 11). This shows how even through her journey at the end she realizes that she was never doing anything wrong and that she has the power to do anything. This shows the message of the story because it shows that she is assimilating to her environment to feel more confortable and mature. This quote also gives the reader a sense of importance of self image, and how your life is lived is dependent on how your view yourself and the world. One has to comfortable with who they are, if that person is every going to love and accept others and this new maturity of acceptance forces a person to come of age.

 

'Shaving' Reflection

The short story “Shaving” by Leslie Norris, is not about shaving, but rather about a boy maturing into adulthood, although the author utilizes the coming of age tradition of shaving to show that the main character, Barry, is ready and able for this transition. The author intended for a deeper and more significant meaning of the term ‘shaving’, which would allow room for personal interpretation for each and every reader.  The way I interpreted this was that throughout Barry’s Father’s life the ‘hair’ he had been growing symbolized qualities and experiences that shaped his identity. When he is ready to let go, he will shave off these negative factors in his life and let loose. I get this impression from the passage, “He’s down today, feels depressed. He’s a particular man your father. He feels dirty with all that beard on him”. I took this as meaning that he was intolerant of the life that he has now, being sick and depressed, and that he wanted to eliminate these negative attributes and move on.

 Leslie is trying to say that death is inevitable, but the relationships one shares with another are everlasting. Also, throughout the story, the author shows the reader that coming of age isn’t always only at puberty, but physical and emotional change can happen at any time in life.  Coming of age is when one assumes the responsibilities of being an adult. One quote that gave me the impression that the relationship they share is everlasting is, “Barry was filled with unreasoning protective love. He lifted the razor and began to shave”. This showed me that no matter how sick or how upset people are, if you share a close enough bond there will never be a need for a reason as to why you love that person. Also, this shows that when one has this ‘unreasoning protecting love’, they will do anything for the other person even if they are no longer on this earth.

From this exchange and experience with his father it gives Barry a better understanding of his environment. Leslie also shows that ‘coming of age’ doesn’t always have to involve some celebration, but indeed it could be the opposite that one could grow from a tragic event in their life. This connects to Barry because his father is about to die, which is quickening his ‘coming of age’ because it is giving him awareness of the outside world and the realities that come with it. When Barry was done ‘shaving’, his father, the Author, uses the symbolizm “But now the window was full in the beam of the dying sunlight, and Barry stood there, illuminated in its golden warmth for a whole minute, knowing it would soon be gone”, to show that although his sunlight (his father) may be dying his soul isn’t. That he indeed is prospering and maturing from this event. The sun is an everlasting entity, and although it may seem like the sun is lifeless and depressing, when the sun has set it will always be in the heart of people because we, as humans, rely on the radiation of the sun. This connects to Barry because although he may be temporarily depressed about the passing of his father, he has relied on his father and is still reliant even after he’s gone because of the love they shared and the lessons he preached. This quote was a rhetorical question as it left the reader with unanswered questions. The reader doesn’t know if the father died and how Barry continued on with his life.

Seijin no hi- The Japanese Holiday

‘Seijin no hi’ is a Japanese Holiday that is usually around the second week of January. This holiday is almost like a combined birthday party for every person (Male or Female) that turned the age of 20 during that previous year. The purpose of this holiday is to congratulate and encourage all that made it to the age of adulthood. At the local city hall all the people that have recently turned 20 attend and listen to speeches by government official and are given small presents in recognition of their growing in age. After the gathering people usually go in large groups to go drink and party together. Women during this day usually wear a furisode, which is similar dress to a kimono with long sleeves that hang down, while males wear a hakama, which is a traditional dress. Not that many people attend these ceremonies any more but they are not punished for not attending or participating. This is very similar to the American culture because at the age of 21 for Americans, they are legally allowed to drink so in most cases people go out to drink and party. Also this is similar to the american culture or all cultures for say, because it is celebration of maturity, and the transition from childhood to adulthood. 

http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/english/newsletter/things_japanese_24.html

Facing obstacles

Unlike school where you learn a lesson then you take a test, life gives you the test first then you learn your lesson. These ‘tests’ as one may call them are the obstacles that people face everyday and overcome in order to better themselves. These hurdles ultimately force change upon a person and have the potential to bring about either success or failure. During our class presentations, I learned the effects of how obstacles can impact who we are, from different perspectives and characters. From learning about Pip’s struggles in Great Expectations, to Mark Zucklerburg’s entrepreneurship, we found that every person has a battle to fight. There will always be different outcomes of these battles, which will shape each person’s unique identity. The way individuals handle their obstacles defines their character, refines skills, morphs their perspective and ultimately creates their identity.

Diversity is fuelled by the different obstacles each person endures. Since each person faces different struggles in their own lives their individual identities are shaped in distinct ways. In Group 4’s presentation, they discussed how Coy faced struggles at a very young age, and how it impacted her being. Her families’ support alters her perspective on her life and her beliefs and gives her self-confidence and security. This shows that support is essential for a person’s healthy growth as it shows people that they are not alone in their struggles. The most influential positive motivators in life are those who support and love you, as they give you confidence and help you strive and reach your potential. In life, when you over come obstacles, a positive attitude results which can change everything. With that confidence comes the realization that nothing in life is impossible and that life, although sometimes difficult has promise. Humanity as a whole has survived by being a part of a family, a community, a country, the whole world.  We couldn’t live without each other.

Overcoming obstacles can shape an individuals’ identity.  Every experience and how one responds to it can change your mind-set. Recently, in my life, I have been having serious trouble with my tumbling (acrobatic skills). For more than three years now, I have what we call a back-handspring, which at one point was a very easy skill for me. As human nature has it, I was striving for excellence and wanted to be on a higher team, which required more difficult skills that I did not have yet. In trying so hard to attain this new skill, a back tuck, which was required to make my ‘dream team’, I lost the easiest and most basic skills. This act of losing skills that you once had is called a “mental block”. To combat this block I have been working for months to get my confidence back and throw the skills that I have had for years. Overcoming this fear was fairly hard due to the constant reminders from my subconscious telling me that I cannot do it. Having this ‘block’ happen to me certainly changed my perspective on practically everything, because I felt that almost everything I did was incorrect. This also changed my attitude towards the sport as I felt that it wasn’t as much fun as it use to be because I felt that I was an inadequate member of the team.  Today, I have worked very hard to combat these negative thoughts of mine, and I have succeed and now, once again can throw my back-handspring. As soon as I started to combat the negative thoughts, and overcame my obstacle, I realized that I could do anything that I set my mind to, which indeed changed my perspective in a positive way. Now I see my world as successful and positive, because for me the only way to be happy is to be positive. Not only did my teammates encourage me and support me through this journey, so did my mother, which I think was one of the main reasons why I blocked the block. From this experience, I learned that anything is possible as long as one sets a goal and has supporters that are always there for them through thick and thin. 

Society as a whole has a major influence on the perspective of people and how they view themselves and each other. For example in “The Road Not Taken” the author is conflicted on which road he should go down, the reliable and worn path or the dark and less predicable one. The author chooses to take fate into his own hands and takes the road less travelled, because, although it is more treacherous, in the end he believes it will benefit him. This connects to Pip’s life because the easy more predicable path for him would have been to continue his common life, but instead he choose the more difficult, yet more rewarding (or so he thought) path of becoming a gentleman and changing his fate. This proves how choices in life have a direct influence on the paths people take and their future.  The obstacles that result from your choices may make your journey difficult but with family and friends, a great attitude and a good perspective these obstacles can be conquered and your self-confidence and identity will become stronger. One’s identity is continuously morphing, for every day holds new experiences that can build or break someone. How one responds to these experiences will fortify their philosophy on life, either positive or negative.  Respond well and success and strength and self-confidence will result.

This human experience that we call ‘life’, is a treacherous and constant battle that is fought mostly within ourselves. The fight within us is shaping and forming of our reality and identity. Every person’s journey and experiences are different, but in the end we are all connected no matter how different our battles are and how different our being is. No matter how hard we try to be different, we are all interconnected as every drop of water makes a part of all the oceans.

Effective Presentations

The most effective way to present a project or an idea to a group of people is through clarity. This is the most important method of presenting because if a person is not 100% certain about what he/she are talking about then there is no point of trying to make sense to others. If a person has more clarity in what he/she is presenting then it makes the person talk with more ease, and confidence. Another really effective way to present is to use visuals: drawings, pictures, diagrams, and videos ect… Using visuals gets the people your presenting to more engaged, and created a better picture in their mind then descriptions. 

The First Unit: Coming of Age

I am most excited for the 1^st unit, which is Coming of Age. I can predict that this will be my favourite unit because I would really like to learn how things like our environment, and perspective can influence reality. Also I’m really excited for this unit because I have been waiting to read the kite running for quite some time now, for it was recommended to me by my mom, and she usually has really good taste in books. Reading Great Expectations over the summer has really opened my eyes on how ideas and ones environment can really do to ones growth as a person. From this experience I have become aware of the influences in my life, and how I’m trying to better myself from them.