Rachel Evered Mrs. Branscum Honors English III, P3 17 February 2015
I. Introduction Paragraph: Time periods of J.D. Salinger, Barbara Kingsolver, and John Green.
II. Thesis Paragraph: Coming of age is a theme frequently alluded to in the writings of J.D. Salinger, Barbara Kingsolver, and John Green. While the most common use of this theme is seen in teenagers, every character in the works of these authors goes through transformations throughout their lives. Many of these characters’ transformations include the discovery that the world is not as great as it seems. Nearly every character faces isolation at some point and faces the consequences and pain that loneliness can present. These harsh realizations can lead to the bitterness and selfishness…show more content… Many of the characters discover that the world is not as always as it appears.
A. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is in such a rush to become an adult that he is faced with great disappointment when he sees the corruption of the grown up world.
B. In Looking for Alaska, Miles is always searching for a “Great Perhaps” (Green 4), but constantly has exceedingly high expectations.
C. In Franny and Zooey, Franny struggles when unexpected societal pressures cause her to reevaluate her life.
D. In The Poisonwood Bible, all of the daughters make discoveries about life in Africa that defy their anticipations.
E. In all of these novels, the world starts out portrayed as an open book, but as the characters gain life experience, they gain understanding about the trials and tribulations of the world.
IV. Throughout the works of Salinger, Kingsolver, and Green, characters experience pain as a result of isolation.
A. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden finds it difficult to connect with others, leaving him in constant isolation.
B. In Looking for Alaska, Alaska wears a mask of personality, but underneath the surface she battles to overcome her loneliness and