THEME AND SYMBOLISM THESAURUS

COMING OF AGE



Never struggle with Show-and-Tell again. Activate your free trial or subscribe to view the Theme And Symbolism Thesaurus in its entirety, or visit the Table of Contents to explore unlocked entries.

CHOOSE MY PLAN

HELPFUL TIP:

Your story's theme is its central message to readers and can be reinforced with specific symbols and motifs pulled right from the setting. Additionally, symbols woven into a scene can underscore your character's emotions, establish mood, and even generate conflict. Explore your story theme thoughtfully and use associated symbols to do more with less.
NOTES:
Closely related to RITE OF PASSAGE, coming of age applies specifically to the progression of child to teenager or teenager to adult. Because everyone makes this journey, Coming of Age would be considered a rite of passage. A rite of passage, on the other hand, can occur at various stages of life. 

THEMATIC STATEMENTS THAT MAY APPLY TO YOUR STORY:
To fully grow up, children need to make their own mistakes.
Children today are growing up faster than they used to (or should have to).
The transformation from teenager to adult always comes with some loss.
In hindsight, high school wasn't all that important after all.
Marking the transition into adulthood helps a young person mature.
Rebellion is an integral part of coming of age.
This rite of passage, while universal, looks different for everyone.

LIES (ANTI-THEMATIC STATEMENTS) YOUR CHARACTER MIGHT BELIEVE:
The adults around me aren't worth listening to.
I don't need any adult's help.
I need to know what I want to do with the rest of my life.
It's safer to let my parents make my decisions for me.
If I tell my parents the truth, they'll never forgive me.
My parents will always bail me out of trouble.
I'm going to be this confused for the rest of my life.
No one understands what I'm going through.
When I'm grown up, I'll have all the freedom I want.

CHARACTER TRAITS TO SUPPORT OR CHALLENGE THE THEME:
CHILDISH, HUMORLESS, IMPATIENT, INFLEXIBLE, INSECURE, MELODRAMATIC, OVERSENSITIVE, PESSIMISTIC, REBELLIOUS, STUBBORN, VOLATILE, WORRYWART, ADVENTUROUS, CALM, CONFIDENT, CURIOUS, ENTHUSIASTIC, INDEPENDENT, INNOCENT, MATURE, PRIVATE, SENTIMENTAL, WISE

WOUNDS THAT MAY SHAPE A CHARACTER'S PERSPECTIVE:
...

CREATIVE WORKS THAT EXPLORE THIS THEME:
...

NATURAL SYMBOLS FOR THIS THEME:
...

HUMAN & SOCIETAL SYMBOLS FOR THIS THEME:
...

...