Examples Of Coming Of Age In American Culture
Coming of Age in Different Cultures
Coming of age is defined as “the act or an instance of reaching maturity”. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society. Coming of age can depend on legal documentation or upon something more spiritual like rituals. In the past, and in some cultures today, such a change is linked with the age of sexual maturity,while in others, it is associated with an age of religious responsibility. In either case, many cultures hold ceremonies to confirm the coming of age, and significant benefits come with the change. Coming of age is often a topic of fiction, in the form of a coming-of-age story, much like the stories we read in class this year. In literature, a novel which deals with the mental and moral growth associated with coming of age is called a bildungsroman. Similar stories told in film are known as coming-of-age films. This paper …show more content…
Perhaps the oldest of these is "Raisin Monday" at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and is still practiced today. A senior student will take a new student, a "bejant" or "bejantine" under his/her wing and show them around the university. In thanks, the bejant will give the senior student a pound of raisins. Today it is common for the freshman to give the senior a bottle of wine. (Awford)
In some Latin American countries, when a girl reaches the age of 15, her relatives will organize a very expensive celebration. It is often a large party called a Quinceañera in Spanish speaking countries and Baile de Debutantes in Brazil. It is always a very extravagant occasion in which the girl wears a large gown and prepares dances for the big event. At the end of the ceremony it is a tradition for the father of the birthday girl to take off her flat shoe and replace it with a high heel. This is symbolic of the girl becoming an adult, or coming of age.
Coming of age is defined as “the act or an instance of reaching maturity”. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society. Coming of age can depend on legal documentation or upon something more spiritual like rituals. In the past, and in some cultures today, such a change is linked with the age of sexual maturity,while in others, it is associated with an age of religious responsibility. In either case, many cultures hold ceremonies to confirm the coming of age, and significant benefits come with the change. Coming of age is often a topic of fiction, in the form of a coming-of-age story, much like the stories we read in class this year. In literature, a novel which deals with the mental and moral growth associated with coming of age is called a bildungsroman. Similar stories told in film are known as coming-of-age films. This paper …show more content…
Perhaps the oldest of these is "Raisin Monday" at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and is still practiced today. A senior student will take a new student, a "bejant" or "bejantine" under his/her wing and show them around the university. In thanks, the bejant will give the senior student a pound of raisins. Today it is common for the freshman to give the senior a bottle of wine. (Awford)
In some Latin American countries, when a girl reaches the age of 15, her relatives will organize a very expensive celebration. It is often a large party called a Quinceañera in Spanish speaking countries and Baile de Debutantes in Brazil. It is always a very extravagant occasion in which the girl wears a large gown and prepares dances for the big event. At the end of the ceremony it is a tradition for the father of the birthday girl to take off her flat shoe and replace it with a high heel. This is symbolic of the girl becoming an adult, or coming of age.