South America and Caribbean

"On Sunday" by Mario Vargas LLosa, the main character, Miguel, changes drastically in one instance. After overcoming the almost fatal swim in the freezing water, his biggest success was the gratification from his friends for beating Ruben is the contest. A few words from Melanes saying "you're beginning to be a man" (36) affirms his once weary confidence. LLosa shows how such a big part of a growing boy's personality is effected by friends. Llosa uses a comparison in the beginning of the story to display this difference in boys and girls. Miguel confesses his love to Flora, in turn Flora admits that she is unable to date him until she finishes school like her mother tells her. The difference in the two characters shows the difference in ambitions. The girl, wanting to listen to her mother, and finish school, while the boy, eager to fulfill his adolescent lust, fills the rest of the story with his ridiculous contests.

"Culumba" by Michelle Cliff involves a different type of situation. The main character befriends her servant (Culumba) who is only two years older than her. Culumba trusts the narrator enough to show her his prized doves which he cherishes and keeps as pets in an old car. I felt like there were two coming of age stories in this one story. The narrator comes of age as she is made aware of the scenario Culumba and her are in. She says, "I felt awkward that a boy two years older than myself was responsible for my laundry, for feeding me, for making my bed...I did not keep the cammandment" (7). The narrator shows her rebellion here, which in turn is a sign of her growing independance. The fact that she is becoming her own person is a key elemant of coming of age. The other coming of age story is Culumba's, which I was suprised more people in class didn't mention. The way Culumba does not dispute the request to kill the birds shows his knowledge of his statues. He has no hope in keeping his pets. The narrator even makes the point that the birds "are not for killing" and not much food will come out of them (9) . Simply said, Culumba is forced to come of age because he has to kill his pets, something a child should never endure.

"Columbus in Chains" by Jamaica Kincaid tells the story of a girl who is also rebellious. She is different from the girl in "Culumba" in that her rebellion is more childish. Her major rebellions are when she writes in her book and organizes an after school leg show gathering. She only has her coming of age at the end of the story when she is looking to her Mother for comfort and only gets breadfruit. She walks with the image that her Mother, "suddenly turned into a crocodile"(5). The end leaves the reader with a sense that the girl can not even rely on her mother. She learns that she is on this planet alone, and she has to deal with the consequences of her actions. Because children are different, dependent on their parents, the narrator here consequently comes of age.