The profound contradiction of John Grady Cole’s characteristics from the beginning and the end of the novel evinces his maturity towards adulthood. In the process, John Grady Cole inevitably sacrifices his ideals, which depended substantially on his innocent conjecture about the reality beyond the border line until the end of the novel. As a result, his journey beyond his knowledge rewards him with the antithesis of the innocent ideals. Yet, despite his dismay of the experiences in Mexico, the loss of his innocence and fantasies becomes a catalyst of maturity for John Grady Cole.
