We're Coming of Age

Arguably thirteen is the worst year of childhood; you are too young to be taken seriously for anything, but too old to be babied. Of course, Black Swan Green follows Jason through this rough year which supports the point even more. Throughout his trials of being a thirteen year old boy Jason’s older sister, Julia, develops a stronger bond with him. At the beginning of the book, in “January Man”, Julia refers to Jason as “Thing”. Honestly, as an older sister myself, this isn’t that crazy of a nickname, but the evolution to his nickname “Jace” just a year later shows them both maturing through their relationship. Not only does Julia turn to accept him more as a friend and less as a pesky younger sibling, but the building of their relationship while their parent’s relationship is failing keeps a constant bond in both of their lives.  To me, an evident turning point was in “Rocks” when Mrs. and Mr. Taylor had an explosive argument that stemmed from the new landscaping Mrs. Taylor want...

                         Many times through various different art works the color palette of a project is meant to convey or psychological impact the emotions perceived and felt. Movies in the Batman franchise feature dark, moody color schemes likely due to Bruce Wayne’s isolation and deep depression he feels. Barbie, featuring Margot Robbie showcased bright pinks and vibrant paired colors mimicking the fakeness and performance expected from women in the world. Filmmakers can add in or remove saturation, take advantage of lighting in many situations, or even use the color of clothing the actors wear and are surrounded by.  In Fun Home by Alison Bechdel the entire story is color graded in a black and white color scheme with the exception of a faded or deep blue. In the beginning of the novel there is less black used, specifically in the background of the scenes. This could likely be due to the fact that t...

Shortly after Joan’s death in Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, a fresh snowfall covers the ground around the asylum Esther was staying in. I pictured this like a clean, white slate covering up the horrors of both Joan’s death and the difficulties Esther has faced. The snow was described to have “blanketed the asylum grounds—not a Christmas sprinkle, but a mid-high January deluge,” one that buried Buddy’s car into the ground and was accompanied by a sunny day (Plath 236). This was a turning point for Esther, a breath of fresh air both physically by stepping outside and mentally by closing ties with Buddy. She was no longer obligated to see him, a nd when she had her final goodbye she placed herself in a position of showing her competence by moving the snow away from his car. I do think Esther shoveling snow, a task seen by many as masculine or chivalrous, weaves strongly into Esther’s development of “evening the playing field” of her gender disadvantages, though that is for a different blog...

       Although we can’t diagnose a fictional character with a mental illness, there were signs throughout the Catcher in the Rye that Holden was sending a cry for help. Holden, in my opinion, was struggling with a mental illness that only became more evident, or worsened, throughout the book. As we got to know Holden, he seemed, to me at least, a major whiner that had difficulty applying himself to anything despite his underlying intelligence. What was fronting as the laziness of a classic teenage boy only wanting to mess around with girls and friends unraveled into an isolated kid attempting to sugar coat his competence in the world. Multiple times Holden called himself “Crazy” or a “Madman” but peeling back this layer of absurdity, he admitted his true emotions. Confiding in the readers, he “felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. I almost wished I was dead,” (62). Sure, some kids in modern day will make jokes about wishing they died so they could avoid an exam, altho...