Growing up is a difficult process that everyone experiences. Although childhood innocence is lost, knowledge is gained from maturing. Maturing involves significant lessons that include accepting oneself, coping with betrayal, and finding one’s voice.
An essential lesson in growing up is being able to accept oneself. Self- acceptance is being pleased with oneself; not caring about other people’s opinions. If children do not learn accept themselves, then they will never be able to truly mature. For example, in the short story Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing the protagonist, Jerry, yearns to be like the older boys. He is juvenile, seeking to fit in; wanting to be approved by the them. He is persistent to prove to them that he can make it …show more content…
He makes the point that parents need to stop conditioning their children to believe that they are the best, and brightest. They continually feed children empty promises that success will come if they are “pushed and tested until success is assured” (Jeffery 2), but the reality is that is not something they can control. The author is claiming that the resolution is to change the definition of success to being content. And in order for success to happen parents need to stop stressing their kids to follow one path. Children need to self-accept themselves and realize that they are not exceptional; they are who they are. Once they realize their capabilities, then success will come. Pretending to be an exceptional child will not satisfy anyone, but disillusioned parents. Lying to oneself will only cause anger and anguish for not being able to be someone he or she is not. Therefore, in order to grow people need to be self-satisfied for who they are. If they do not learn to accept themselves, then will become reliant on their parents to control their future, rather than creating their own …show more content…
Using one’s voice is being able to speak out against injustice. People who strongly value their ideals, are not fearful about what society thinks about them. They find the courage to rebel against those who ridicule their values. For instance, in Greek play Antigone, by Sophocles, the protagonist Antigone speaks against Creon’s decree for not burying her brother Polyneices; proclaiming him as a traitor. Outraged with this injustice, she opposes the king, and buries her brother. She is selfless; wanting to protect him, even after death. She does not hesitate to stand up for what she believes in even though the penalty is her own life. Antigone feels she has a moral obligation to defies Creon because “her brother lie unburied would cause her grief” (Sophocles 93). And although in Creon’s eyes her actions are deemed as foolish, she is mature for being able to find her voice. This indicates people who are mature are not afraid to be judged by others who deride their values. They fight for a cause that does not only protect their rights, but also the rights of others. They are passionate and have altruistic desires to protect the values they feel are being infringed upon. Unlike the story The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, the protagonist Tessie, is selfish, hypocritical, and only speaks out against the system when it personally affects her. She blindly follows the outdated tradition of the lottery,
An essential lesson in growing up is being able to accept oneself. Self- acceptance is being pleased with oneself; not caring about other people’s opinions. If children do not learn accept themselves, then they will never be able to truly mature. For example, in the short story Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing the protagonist, Jerry, yearns to be like the older boys. He is juvenile, seeking to fit in; wanting to be approved by the them. He is persistent to prove to them that he can make it …show more content…
He makes the point that parents need to stop conditioning their children to believe that they are the best, and brightest. They continually feed children empty promises that success will come if they are “pushed and tested until success is assured” (Jeffery 2), but the reality is that is not something they can control. The author is claiming that the resolution is to change the definition of success to being content. And in order for success to happen parents need to stop stressing their kids to follow one path. Children need to self-accept themselves and realize that they are not exceptional; they are who they are. Once they realize their capabilities, then success will come. Pretending to be an exceptional child will not satisfy anyone, but disillusioned parents. Lying to oneself will only cause anger and anguish for not being able to be someone he or she is not. Therefore, in order to grow people need to be self-satisfied for who they are. If they do not learn to accept themselves, then will become reliant on their parents to control their future, rather than creating their own …show more content…
Using one’s voice is being able to speak out against injustice. People who strongly value their ideals, are not fearful about what society thinks about them. They find the courage to rebel against those who ridicule their values. For instance, in Greek play Antigone, by Sophocles, the protagonist Antigone speaks against Creon’s decree for not burying her brother Polyneices; proclaiming him as a traitor. Outraged with this injustice, she opposes the king, and buries her brother. She is selfless; wanting to protect him, even after death. She does not hesitate to stand up for what she believes in even though the penalty is her own life. Antigone feels she has a moral obligation to defies Creon because “her brother lie unburied would cause her grief” (Sophocles 93). And although in Creon’s eyes her actions are deemed as foolish, she is mature for being able to find her voice. This indicates people who are mature are not afraid to be judged by others who deride their values. They fight for a cause that does not only protect their rights, but also the rights of others. They are passionate and have altruistic desires to protect the values they feel are being infringed upon. Unlike the story The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, the protagonist Tessie, is selfish, hypocritical, and only speaks out against the system when it personally affects her. She blindly follows the outdated tradition of the lottery,