Coming of Age in Hemingway's Indian Camp and Joyce's Araby comparison compare contrast essays

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Coming of Age in Hemingway's Indian Camp and Joyce's Araby In reading Hemingway's "Indian Camp" and Joyce's "Araby", about 2 young boy's not so ceremonial passage to life's coming of age. The protagonist Nick in "Indian Camp" witnessed in one night the joy of going on a journey to an unknown destination with his father and uncle Charlie. Later, Nick receives an expedited course in life and death. Joyce's "Araby" protagonist whis friends with Mangan but has a secret desirable infatuation with his sister. The young protagonist in this short story eventually come to terms with being deceived by a woman's beauty into doing something naively rash. Hemingway's protagonist, Nick, in the short story "Indian Camp" rides curiously asking "where are we going, Dad? (28). Yet, being secure while Nick lay back with his father's arm around him (28). Upon arrival of the shanty lined beach, life's lesson begins to unfold. Nick's sympathy for the woman screaming in pain because of delivering a baby without anaesthetic unleashed a feeling of compassion. Nick's apathy for the final stage of the birthing process was the opposite of the elation his father and uncle felt. The moving education of Nick was witnessing the completed suicide of the indian man. The protagonist question of immortality was very poignant; especially when he asked his father " Is dying hard?" (31). Nick left with the feeling "that he would never die"(31). I can relate to Nick's experience in the story. I remember joyously going to a destination with my mother. I was elated to go work with my mother whose occupation was a counselor working for the City of Chicago Mental Health Center. The car stopped at the Chicago Reed Mental Hospital. The Sunday afternoon excursion turned from a fun car ride to a shocking reality check. The coming of age reality for me was seeing the young patients in the hospital being sedated due to sporatic outbursts, a young girl rocking against the padded walls of the room, and people talking to themselves incoherently. The lesson for me was to express myself in an positive manner and not keep problems bottled up on the inside. Why? I do not want to become insane and be institiutionalized. I suppose Nick's lesson was he would never die especially by suicide. On the otherhand, the protagonist in the Joyce short story "Araby" was smitten by a friend's sister. Maybe it was his first love. He would always admire her from afar especially peering throuogh his window waiting to get a glimpse of her. The thrill for him was when Mangan's sister finally spoke to him. The lad was "so confused that I did not know what to answer"(39). Yet he made a promise to bring her something back from the bazaar since she was not able to go. The young protagonist learned a quick lesson in dissapointment from his uncle and that the vanity of a female is nothing but a motivatiion to do foolish things. I, attended an all girl school in Chicago. I had eyes for this young man that attended the all boy school across the street from the school I attended. I would admire this guy from afar but I was too nervous to speak. Finally, the young man spoke to me. The boy's school was hosting a dance. I went to the dance with the hopes of dancing with him. I was disappointed when the goog looking guy brought his girlfriend which attended the rival all girls school. I learned that looks are not everything. Also, there are some guys that are jerks. I suppose the protagonist learned that looks are not everything as well as all girls are not the same.

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