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Ghani 1

Osama Ghani

Dr. Caroline Young

English 1102

3 March 2016

Living Life b !inging"#

$he a%olescen# min% is &er&e#uall confusing' bu# (ha# if i# las#e% all #hrough our

life) *nne Carson+s *u#obiogra&h of ,e% is' b one as&ec#' an original coming-of-age s#or.

Lie ever &ro#agonis# (ho is coming of age' Geron s#ruggles (i#h e/&ressing an% ac#ing

u&on his emo#ions. !e see #his in chaer """' (hen #here is a conversa#ion+ be#(een

Geron an% his mo#her' bu# i# onl consis#s of his mo#her #aling' me# (i#h no res&onse.

Coming-of-age s#ories also inclu%e a #eenage romance. "n *u#obiogra&h of ,e%' Geron

mee#s erales' a man (ho ma%e him feel lie his lifeshif#e% %o(n a fe( no#ches+ 435.

$o com&lica#e ma##ers' Geron an% erales brea u&' leaving Geron hear#broen' onl #o

mee# again %uring Geron+s a%ul#hoo%. o(ever' erales no( has a ne( bofrien%' *ncash.

$o illus#ra#e #he confusion in a #eenager+s hea%' Carson maes i# %ifficul# for #he rea%er #o

follo( #he novel' in &ar# b unconven#ional forma##ing' bu# also b maing i# %ifficul# #o

un%ers#an% Geron+s emo#ions. Carson uses Geron+s (ings as an a&&ara#us for #he rea%er #o

in%irec#l infer Geron+s emo#ions' mimicing a%olescen#s #ells+' such as #he iconic blush

(hen a girl sees her crush. o(ever' Carson e/#en%s #he use of #his #ell+ from 7us#

a%olescence #o &ermea#e #hrough his chil%hoo%' a%olescence an% a%ul#hoo%. "n fac#' she

maes #he #ell+ in#o #he ver #hing #ha# se#s him a&ar# from o#her &eo&le in #he firs# &lace.

Carson firs# uses (ings#o give a #angible re&resen#a#ion of an o#her(ise in#angible

i%ea' #ha# of being %ifferen#. Geron narra#es #ha# %uring his chil%hoo%' he ha% a fear of

ridicule,#o (hich ever%a life as a (inge% re% &erson ha% accommo%a#e% 8&resen# %a9

Geron+ 4:3. !e see Carson e/&lici#l no#ing ho( Geron+s (ingsma%e him %ifferen# from

his &eers. !hen being sen# off #o school' his mo#her nea#ene% his li##le re% (ingsan% &ushe%

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Ghani 2

him ou# #he %oor+ 436. Carson+s (or% choice in using nea#ene%+ im&lies

#ha# #he (ings(ere some#hing s&ecial #o Geron' an% ha% #o be ma%e more

&resen#able so #ha# #he seeme% normal. ;o (e see Carson in#ro%ucing #he

elemen# of being %ifferen# before a%olescence' (hich is uni #o in#ro%uce Geron+s (ingsbu# (i#hou# #hem having an effec# on

Geron. * &oin# (or#h no#ing is #ha# before she #ucs his (ings' she sas' #his (oul% be har%

for ou if ou (ere (ea' bu# ou+re no# (ea+ 436. Carson is es#ablishing earl on #he

connec#ion be#(een Geron+s (ingsan% his (eaness' a #heme #ha# %evelo&s over his

#ransi#ion #o a%ul#hoo% in #he boo.

"n a%olescence' Carson uses Geron+s (ings#o sho( Geron+s reali?a#ion abou# ho(

he is %ifferen#' an% #o sho( his reac#ions an% a##i#u%es #o(ar%s #his %ifference. "n earl

a%olescence Geron (as e/&eriencing a &ain no# fel# since chil%hoo%+ 4@3. $he rea%er

follo(s an e/change be#(een Geron an% erales' (here Geron refuses #o reveal (ha# is

bo#hering him' bu# he men#ions #ha# some#imes 8he9 nee%s a li##le &rivac+ 4@3. "# seems #ha#

Geron is becoming self-a(are an% self-conscious' becoming ashame% an% angere% in #he

&rocess. Carson illus#ra#es his self-ha#re% b #he image (here #he (ings#ore agains# each

o#her+ an% Geron fel# his (ings#urn in' an% in' an% in+ 4@3 almos# as if #he (ings(ere

#ring #o %ig in#o him an% #ear him a&ar#. Carson sho(s Geron s#ar#ing #o &ro7ec# his anger

in(ar%s ra#her #han ou#(ar%s' sub#l hin#ing a# self-harm. $he brace #ha# he uses #o bin% his

(ingsre&resen#s his a##em #o s#o& himself from ge##ing #oo absorbe% in#o his &ain. Au#

Geron is also s#ar#ing #o become more a(are of his (eanesses. Carson uses erales as a

foil #o Geron' #o 7u/#a&ose erales+ s#reng#h (i#h Geron+s gro(ing recogni#ion of his

(eanesses. "n%ee%' %uring an encoun#er be#(een erales an% Geron' he fel# clear an%

&o(erful B no# some (oun%e% angel af#er all+ 4@. ence' (e see #ha# %uring a%olescence'

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Ghani 3

Geron becomes a(are of his %ifferences' bu# moreover' becomes conscious of #hese

%ifferences' causing him #o ha#e himself' bu# also maing him #r #o con#rol #he anger. ;he

hin#s #o #he vulnerabili# of a%olescen#s #o(ar%s bo#h' in#ernal &ressures' re&resen#e% b #he

(ings#urning in(ar%s' an% e/#ernal &ressures' re&resen#e% b his

emo#ions #o(ar%s erales. A using #he (ings' Carson illus#ra#es #he

com&le/ an% confusing s#a#e of #he a%olescen# min%' an% ho(

%ifferences affec# self-&erceion an% self-(or#h. o(ever' #his s#ar#s #o

change in a%ul#hoo%.

Geron+s a##i#u%es #o(ar%s his (ingschange from ha#re% #o

curiosi#' an% (i#h i#' Geron s#ar#s #o &on%er abou# #he &ur&ose of his

%ifference. !hereas in #he o#her sec#ions of #he boo' references #o

Geron+s (ings(oul% be e/&lici#' Carson no( men#ions #hem in

&assing. !e see #his (hen Carson sas' an i%ea(hi&&e% bac %o(n in#o #he canal behin%

#he (ings+4:1. "n #he ver ne/# chaer' Geron becomes an/ious (hen (ri#ing a &os#car%'

(hich #he rea%er reali?es because Geron' shif#e% his u&&er bac muscles insi%e #he huge

overcoa#' #igh#ening his (ings+4:2. *gain' (e see Carson men#ions his (ingsin &assing' bu#

#here is also a change in #he emo#ions #ha# #he (ingsre&resen#. "n a%olescence' his (ings

(ere #ale% abou# in rela#ion #o anger' self-ha#re% an% confusion. o( ho(ever' #he sho( u&

in #he con#e/# of an/ie#. $he shif# in #he #one in #he %escriions of #he (ingsan% #he change

in #he emo#ions #ha# #he (ingsre&resen# mimic Geron+s changing in#ernal a##i#u%es #o(ar%s

his (ings' from anger #o curiosi# #o un%ers#an%ing. *ncash gives Geron an i%ea of #he

&ur&ose of his (ings' #ha# i# re&resen#s him being an ee(i#ness. ille% (i#h ne(foun%

&ur&ose' Geron+s (eanesses 8are9 burne% a(a+ 4125. "n ano#her sec#ion' *ncash

e/&lains' u& high #he air ge#s so ho#' i# burns #he (ingsoff bir%s B #he 7us# fall+ 4105. $he

&arallel be#(een #he burning (ings(i#h #he %ro(ning fl #ha# Geron #aes a &ic#ure sho(s

ho( Carson simul#aneousl uses (ings#o re&resen# some#hing useful an% uni

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Ghani

(eaness. "n #his #ransforma#ive momen# be#(een a%olescence an%

a%ul#hoo%' Carson is sub#l hin#ing #o(ar%s #he en% of a coming of

age s#or' (hen a charac#er learns #o acce an% a&&recia#e his

%ifferences.

"n sum' Carson uses (ings #o hel& #he rea%er un%ers#an%

#he emo#ions #ha# Geron e/&eriences' an% #he a##i#u%es he has

#o(ar%s #he fac# #ha# he+s %ifferen#. Carson &las (i#h #he (ings'

b maing #hem e/ac#l (ha# maes him %ifferen#' bu# also being

#he a&&ara#us #ha# hin#s #o us ho( he feels abou# his %ifferences.

$he changing %escriions of #he (ings #hroughou# #he novel

&rovi%e #he rea%er (i#h an insigh# in#o Geron+s #ransforma#ion from a chil% in#o an a%ul#.

$he a%olescence an% coming-of-age narra#ive is ma%e all #he more in#eres#ing b consi%ering

#he Gree an% Fuechua elemen#s #ha# con#ribu#e% #o #he (ings. "n Gree m#holog'

Geroneis (as a re% beas#. !e' as rea%ers' of#en see Geron engage% in an in#ernal s#ruggle

of emo#ions. Carson+s re#elling of #he ercules slaing Geron s#or in #he form of a romance

an% hear#brea #ransforms #he classic in#o a s#or #ha# #he rea%ers can i%en#if (i#h. Carson

hin#s a# #he fac# #ha# ever a%olescen# feels lie #he are going #hrough a mons#er or beas#l

&hase. ur#her' #he Fuechua elemen# serves #o fur#her enligh#en us on (eaness an% s#reng#h.

Geron being an ee(i#ness #o an ol%er (rong %one #o him' (hich is Carson allu%ing #o #he

original Gree legen%' e/&lains (h Geron+s 7ourne of self-%iscover an% overcoming

(eaness maes for a com&elling narra#ive.

Works Cited

Carson' *nne. *u#obiogra&h of ,e% * ovel in erse. e( Yor *lfre% *. Hno&f' 155:.

Irin#.