Frankie Addams is a twelve year old girl caught in the awkward transition between a child and an adult. Frankie is the main character in Carson McCullers’ novel The Member of the Wedding. This novel has many themes, including discomforts of adolescence, coming-of-age, marriage, identity, and belonging. During the three days in the novel, Frankie makes some big changes. Discomforts of adolescence is a major theme in this novel. Frankie is at a very awkward age, and she is struggling with her youth. Her feelings are described as sad, depressed, and lost. McCullers showed the difficulty in growing up as an out-cast. “Frankie had become an un-joined person who hung around in doorways, and she was afraid” (McCullers 3). Frankie feels disconnected …show more content…
Frankie tries to create an identity for herself by changing her name. She changes her name a couple times in the novel. The first change is from Frankie to F. Jasmine. Frankie is so in love with the wedding what she wants her name to match her brother’s name, and his fiancée’s name. “’J A,’ she said. ‘Janis and Jarvis … isn’t that the strangest thing? ... Both their names begin with J A … if only my name was Jane or Jasmine ... Jarvis and Janie and Jasmine’” (McCullers 17). Frankie is convinced that changing her name to F. Jasmine will bring her closer to the wedding. “So sure is she that changing her name to ‘F. Jasmine’ will imbue her with the essence of the wedding that she imagines all three of its ‘members’ tied together” (Pingree 83). She believes that this name will make her a part of the wedding, and will give her a since of identity. Her second name change is from F.Jasmine to Frances. Her brother makes fun of her change to F. Jasmine, and calls her by her little kid nickname “Fankie”, from when her bike ran into a car and the paper called her Fankie Addams. She changes her name to Frances after John Henry’s death. Frankie will develop her own identity by growth, not through name
In the opening scene of “Muriel’s Wedding”, directed by P.J. Hogan, ideas of searching for self-worth and one’s identity are explored through the setting, Tania’s wedding. This is symbolic of new beginnings, which is what drives the plot and the character, Muriel, who is seeing herself and a new identity through engagement and marriage.
To begin with, Frankie T. is an interesting character because of his Character Traits. In the Story, “Fear”, the author wrote, “... Frankie T., who would drown his brother by accident that coming spring and would use a length pipe to beat a woman in a burglary years later had me pinned down to the ground…” This Quote from the text shows how violent Frankie T. is and will be in the near future. Not only does this Quote show how violent Frankie T. is but how enraged he is at something. Frankie is expressing his inner feeling by taking it out on other people (his classmates). As a
The book grasps all parts of growing up in a unstable environment, with the parents getting divorces, moving away from friends to go to a new school, the meeting of new friends the getting falsely accused of things you say you did not do but still get in trouble for, feeling like nobody likes you, feeling like running away and the lazy never wanting to get up out of bed mornings. The author, Bridget Lowry, Is trying to portray the problems of growing up and I think she succeeds in this novel. This novel is very exciting and adventurous I do recommend other students read this book
The reader often searches for a glimpse of himself in the characters he is reading about, and this is especially true with the adolescent readers of The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. The author paints a picture of a conflicted youth by emphasizing his idiosyncrasies, and although Caulfield’s traits may seem exaggerated and alien at times, he is a character who is relatable to American youth today. Holden Caulfield has a strong sense of civic duty that is overshadowed only by his suicidal tendencies, is exceedingly sensitive to the evil in the world and prone to angst, yet empathetic to the emotional upheaval other children will experience when entering adulthood.
In this nostalgic and cynical novel we read about the painful transformation from youth to adulthood in a young boy called Holden. This troubled state of mind young boy, in his adolescent years, gives us an in-depth insight into the climax moment of his life which stretches over a period of three days. A very troubled and confused, depressed and insecure young man shows us that he is desperate for acceptance, regardless from where. He is constantly looking for some form of connection and for someone to acknowledge him. The approaching adulthood seems so phoney to him and he displays the mourning loss of the nurturing feeling of childhood, which seems light years away. Sadly his status of being of an affluent and wealthy teenager from a good
The coming of age phase in a young person’s life is a transitional phase which prompts the idea of individualism, decision making, acceptance, moral challenges, disappointment, and individual needs. These years are essential for the overall learning and growing-up part of someone’s life. Coming of age characteristics transpired in the novel The Catcher in the Rye and The Absolutely True Diary of a part-time Indian pertain to, but do not exclude, the acceptance of the complexities and “grayness” of the world, confrontation with the adult world, and the individual needs and desires vs. external pressures/expectations/norms. In both novels, young boys are faced with tough choices that will later help them in the overall transition from
Adolescence is often a confusing time where people still have elements of childhood, but they are beginning to enter the world of adults. People end up stuck between two points in life and feel that they can not quite fit into either. In J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, sixteen year old Holden Caulfield experiences the contradicting feelings of being a teenager while he is alone in New York City. He masquerades as an adult and his experiences represent various aspects of being an adult. He tries to act grown-up and engage in adult life, but at the same time he resists it and tries to hold onto the way things are. Salinger explores the image of adulthood using symbols. Symbols of adulthood hold for Holden a certain longing and resentment as he struggles with the turmoil of adolescence.
There is only one experience that unites every single person in the world. Many people in the world can agree that it isn’t always the greatest experience, and many people have an extremely hard time getting through it, but every single adult goes through the act of ‘growing up’. For many, the transition can be very depressing, and confusing. When a child is young becoming an adult seems to be enjoyable and exciting, but it isn’t until that child is forced into the cruel, harsh world where the innocence of childhood can be appreciated and missed. The novel Catcher in the Rye explores how teenagers who are nearing adulthood see the adult world to be incomprehensible. J.D Salinger illustrates the confusion of a teenager when faced with the challenge of transitioning into adulthood using Holden Caulfield.
Every human actions meets in nature and they find their own characteristic feature in a good or bad way. Not everyone can say it is a pleasant experiment, but no one can deny that it happened. This single event is ‘growing up’. The transition between childhood innocence and adulthood is long and confusing, often uncovering questions that cannot be answered. During this time the adult world seems inviting and free, but only when we become members of a cruel, society can the happy ignorance of childhood be appreciated and missed. The novel Catcher in the Rye examines how adult life appears complex and incomprehensible to teenagers on the brink of entering it. Through the main protagonist Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger captures the confusion of a teenager when faced with the challenge of adapting to an adult society.
Coming of age is a recurring theme that is universally known throughout many different pieces of literature. Whether it’s influenced on true experiences, childhood memories, or even based on one’s current juvenile reality, many of theses works have a correlation between them that include many similar ordeals and struggles that the character goes through in order to metamorphosize into taking their first step out of childhood. One prominent theme that often appears is how one experiences and faces a time of tribulation and other walls that stand in one’s path. In effect, hardships mature and enlighten one, causing the loss of something such as childhood innocence. Lastly, these three combined points finally lead to one’s metamorphosis out of childhood. All in all, these three factors take one out of childhood, and slowly allows one step out into the reality of this world.
From its publication, The Catcher in the Rye gained widespread aversion from schools through its blatant profanity. But despite the time gap since the publication in the 1950s until now, the book explores immortal themes of adolescence and maturing still relevant today. Symbolizing the average teenage life, adolescents throughout the country are able to connect to Holden without question. As Holden agonizes over his purpose and depression, teens relate to this some intangible part of themselves. Holden frustrates over dating, drinking, low grades, switching schools, and life in general. Suddenly, in a second, as the adult world threatens the once serene childhood, as the weight of responsibility of being an adult crashes, Holden crumbles.
p. 82). Therefore, the adult narrator’s ability to comment and reflect on his child-self effectively emphasizes the naïve and vulnerable nature of youth, and contributes to the mood of foreboding and suspense throughout the novel, ‘now I was over confident. I expected things to go my way’ (Chapter 1. p. 28).
The journey between adolescence and adulthood is one of great discovery and introspection. As the blissful innocence of childhood is washed away by the passing of time, a long and confusing period of discovering one’s identity takes center stage. Prior to the process, the adult world seems one of great freedom and opportunity and is treated with a sense of keen enthusiasm. But, only as we become members of this cruel and unjust adult society, does the veneer of privilege corrode away, and the simplicity and innocence of childhood truly appreciated. As such is explored in The Catcher in the Rye, where a young teenager in New York City is faced with the daunting task of transitioning and maturing to an eventual adulthood, one that terrifies him. Holden responds to adulthood with resistance, fear andidealism, before slowly but surely succumbing to its certainty.
Frankie Landau-Banks, from the Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, is your average girl at the beginning of the story. She is crushing on the popular guy, has a best friend, and is very ambitious as far as life after high school goes. However, as the story goes on, she changes into this fierce, independent young lady who isn’t afraid to speak her mind. With the help of the other characters in the book, she is able to realize her full potential. With the help of Zada, who is always giving Frankie good advice, and Matthew and Ruth, who are always underestimating Frankie, she is able to grow into an independent young lady.
Although Frankie indirectly suffers due to his father’s actions, the two can enjoy their time together. This relationship implores the reader to frame the world as Frankie does because doing so allows one to improve his/her life. The fact that the overarching theme of the passage is love allows one to conclude that the author has achieved the goals of Faulkner’s mission because the reader can endure and prevail by following McCourt’s message.