How does one define
the coming-of-age process? Is it by the angst that follows you through that
time in your life? Many people view the coming-of-age process as a turbulent
time in ones life. And in all honesty
it’s hard to disagree, we’ve all gone through those trying times, we’ve all had
that one time where we snapped at our parents. To this, I must say that angst
is seen everywhere throughout our coming-of-age process.
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| The Scream by Edvard Munch |
Through our
teenage years we all experience social discrepancies and changes. These
experiences help shape our personality, not always in the best of ways, either
with the loss of friends or changing of social statuses. The social dynamics
change when you grow up and it causes fluctuations and unease, these feelings
are what lead teenagers to their angst. This angst is there for a while, the
anxiety fills you up and you don’t know where to put until life gives you the
proper outlets. I truly believe that people do not lose the angst that comes up
through those years and its actually our lives and our situations that give us
the tools to cope with the anxiety, be it a really close friend, family, or
even work, we learn and you move past it with a better outlook.
Through our life
plenty of things happen, but I can say for certain that angst is part of the process
of growing up for the character of Baby, from Lullabies for Little Criminals was anything but angst free. She goes through an aspect of low self-worth
when her pimp kisses her (181-182). This
is a great example of teen angst within this work of literature, it depicts the
change in her state of mind, as a teenager she barely knows her right from
wrongs. This kiss changes her personality to a deeper, more depressive view on
life.
So is angst a
defining nature within our coming-of-age process? Look around and tell me what
you think.
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