Coming of age can be difficult for any teenage boy. Some people have to come of age faster than others, like Bobby, in the book the first part last by Angela Johnson, he had to come of age fast because of his troublesome situation; his girlfriend, Nia, is pregnant. Bobby had to make difficult decisions within this book to show to his family and friends he is capable of taking care of Feather, his newborn child, without everyones help. Within this book, Johnson uses different symbols and ideas to show that he has come of age and will be able to take care of Feather.
Teenagers, most of the time, will say what they want to say, but when they have a kid, like Bobby they have to grow up and they can't always say what they want to. Bobby, not saying what he wants to say when he is in those crucial situations, shows coming of age, this shows that he is acting more like an adult than a 16 year old boy. It also shows he's being more responsible, like when he wanted to beg the doctor for a note so he didn't have to go through everything that he went through, yet he didn't, he held together during this hard time and made it through for his daughter. …show more content…
One of the many things he gave up was playing basketball with his friends. In the book Bobby left Feather alone when he went to play basketball. "I lay my basketball down and it rolled out the door into the hall towards Mary's room"(Johnson 23). The ball rolling away symbolizes his childhood "rolling" away from him. Also, he wanted to go to a new arcade that everyone was going to but now that he has a child, he can't go to arcades due to the fact he has to be there to watch Feather and take care of her. The arcade, also shows how he is growing up and coming of age because before Feather was born that's where he would hang out with his
Teenagers, most of the time, will say what they want to say, but when they have a kid, like Bobby they have to grow up and they can't always say what they want to. Bobby, not saying what he wants to say when he is in those crucial situations, shows coming of age, this shows that he is acting more like an adult than a 16 year old boy. It also shows he's being more responsible, like when he wanted to beg the doctor for a note so he didn't have to go through everything that he went through, yet he didn't, he held together during this hard time and made it through for his daughter. …show more content…
One of the many things he gave up was playing basketball with his friends. In the book Bobby left Feather alone when he went to play basketball. "I lay my basketball down and it rolled out the door into the hall towards Mary's room"(Johnson 23). The ball rolling away symbolizes his childhood "rolling" away from him. Also, he wanted to go to a new arcade that everyone was going to but now that he has a child, he can't go to arcades due to the fact he has to be there to watch Feather and take care of her. The arcade, also shows how he is growing up and coming of age because before Feather was born that's where he would hang out with his