Analysis of the Short Stories set for the English Literature examination 2005
| story | as a rite of passage | other features |
| Growing Up | Robert Quick learns that his girls are growing up and that he must come to turns with his own ageing | The girls become violent suggesting that this rite of passage is not easy for them either: have they been 'neglected'? The garden reflects how the girls are: wild and 'overgrown' |
| The End of Something | ||
| Superman ... | The narrator realises that her uncle isn't the 'superman' she thought; she realises the cruelty of growing up | |
| Flight | change is an important part of life: the grandfather must reconcile himself to this change; at first he cannot accept the need for the girls' marriage. her 'rite of passage' girl becoming independent, and marrying; the grandfather confronting old age |
the bird being set free symbolises the way the girl is set 'free'
it almost feels like a ritual to release a bird |
| Your Shoes | the mother has not provided a rite of passage frfor the girl and thi shas caused the problem: she's asserted her independence | |
| Chemistry | the family is dysfunctional because the boy has to accommodate change and the older family members provide no ritual for him; this cycle of death and renewal is out of control the suicide is a kind of 'parody ' of the 'last rites' the boy grows up and needs a rite of passage to define this Ralph's entry into the family is 'unsanctified' by a formal rite of passage and therefore causes stress and strain
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everyone changes: a chain reaction the sinking is a kind of ritual but it is not complete. not entirely satisfactory |
| Snowdrops | First confessions material here: boy grows up and realises that things are not as good as they seem | |