Coming of Age

The novel’s portrayal of the transition to adulthood is relatively dark, and even cynical, for Nathaniel’s personal journey from adolescence to adulthood is heavily shaped by newfound acquaintanceship with cold independence and moral relativism. As a teenager, without the supervision of his parents, Nathaniel developed a rather stoic adherence to his independence, finding himself in “a borderless terrain between adolescence and adulthood” (65). His personal education was derived largely from his illegal work with The Darter in an atmosphere devoid of traditional parental love and attention. On the other hand, this unconventional, potentially dysfunctional form of personal development was counterpointed by the warmer, more positive influences of Agnes and Olive. The former provided Nathaniel with his first experiences in the realms of sex and love, and the latter fostered in him a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world: “[Olive] had spoken...