Topic Three

Jaicyn London

As a class in Representing Adolescence, we have spent a considerable amount of time discussing what adolescence even means.  Going into this class, I thought of adolescence as the set time-period between the ages of twelve and eighteen years old. However, after weeks of reading our various books, I’ve discovered that adolescence is much more than just a set definition. Of the books the class has read so far–Charlotte Temple, The Lowell Offering, The House on Mango Street, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, If I Ever Get Out of Here, etc— each somehow has a different interpretation of adolescence than the next, even though the characters are all supposed to be in their adolescence.  Charlotte Temple, by Susanna Rowson, introduced the theme of autonomy, and the non-existence of it that Charlotte possessed as a young girl. The Lowell Offering, by the Mill Women of Lowell, explored how economic status alters the adolescence experience. The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, delved into how sex & gender, as well as socio-economic status effects adolescence. The Miseducation of Cameron Post, by Emily Danforth, and If I Ever Get Out of Here, by Eric Gansworth, both analyzed the importance of self-identity during adolescence. Drawing from the experiences of these “supposed” adolescents in the novels we have read for class led me to the conclusion that not everyone is afforded or even guaranteed an adolescence. Many uncontrollable factors such as wealth, gender, and society largely influence the possibility of having an adolescence. As I explored through our last essay’s topic, some kids are born into certain circumstances that force them into the role of adults at such a young age, which completely erases any chance of having an adolescence. Now when I think of what adolescence is, I believe it to be a time in life where a young individual is given the opportunity to discover the world at their own pace and steadily acquire more responsibility over time. Just because a young individual is thirteen years old does not necessarily equate to them being in their adolescence, as they may face struggles that force them to act like adults.  I am fortunate enough to have grown up in an environment that allowed me to explore new concepts at my own pace and therefore have an adolescence. Although I know for certain that I am not the same person I was when I first entered adolescence, I’m not positive that the chapter has completely closed for me yet. I imagine fifth grade was the start of my adolescence, as that’s when middle school started for me, I began to think to play with dolls was childish, and I wanted my parents to award me more responsibility. I don’t think middle school was enjoyable for anyone at all, as looking back you can pinpoint embarrassing moments of realization. However, the opportunity to experience the embarrassing moments during the height of my adolescence allowed me to transform into the person that I am now. For me, my middle school years were full of changing friend groups, the divide between the “popular” girls versus everyone else, obsession over my appearance, and a deep love for One Direction. Our current novel that we are reading in class, Ship It, especially resonates with me because it reminds me of my adolescence, and said obsession with One Direction; I embarrassingly can still recite lyrics from all the songs from One Direction’s earliest album, Up All Night, all the way to their last album, Made In The A.M.  One Direction certainly defined my adolescence and my memories of it. I definitely did have a Tumblr at the time like Claire, consumed many fanfictions over the course of my seventh and eighth-grade years, and traveled twice to see One Direction play live. However, the difference between Claire and I is that I was never an author of fan fiction and was never into shipping anyone together. It’s strange thinking that that phase in my life was at minimum three years ago, but my music taste and obsessions have changed entirely over that period of time. I wouldn’t yet consider myself to be fully out of my adolescence yet, rather the days are slowly coming to a close. Being that this is my first semester of college ever, and is the first time I’ve been away from my family for longer than a week, I’m slowly learning how to become independent.  I still am somewhat reliant on my parents and other people, which is why I think I’m not fully out of my adolescence, but I’m on my way. I’m glad that I have an adolescence that I can look back on with happiness, albeit a lot of embarrassment as well, which is why it is so bittersweet for this chapter in my life to close. I’ve learned a lot about adolescence through this course and can examine my own adolescence with more meaning as a result.

One Direction. “Up All Night.”, Syco Records, 2011. Studio Album.