Introduction
Certain qualities are associated with adulthood; namely one can speak about responsibility, forgiveness, and independence of thought. This essay will show how these attributes are explored in such books as Persepolis, written by Marjane Satrapi, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. In particular, it is necessary to explain how Marjane, and Junior, the main characters enter adulthood.
Overall, it is possible to say that an adult person should be able to take responsibility for one’s actions, to forgive others, and to think independently even his or her opinions do not coincide with the opinions of others. Certainly, these are not the only attributes of a grown-up, but they are probably the most important ones.
Taking responsibility
One of the qualities that an adult person possesses is the ability to take responsibility for one’s mistakes or faults. As he grows up, Junior becomes more aware of the consequences of his actions. In some cases, he can even blame himself for something that he is not guilty of. For instance, he blames himself for the death of his sister. He says, “She had burned to death because I had decided that I wanted to spend my life with white people.”(Alexie, 211)”.
He believes that his sister died because he was not near her at the time of need. He exaggerates, but the readers can see that he has an acute sense of responsibility. In her turn, Marjana becomes ashamed of herself after procuring drugs for Markus. Afterward, she is regarded by her friends as a drug dealer. Marjane thinks that in this way, she tarnished the reputation of her family and country.
Forgiveness
Secondly, a person, who considers oneself a grown-up, should be able to forgive the mistakes and faults of other people. This idea is explored in both books. For instance, Junior eventually forgives those boys who teased him, even though they do not ask him for forgiveness. Similarly, Marjana also wanted to attack a boy, whose father worked for the secret police. However, her mother convinced her that this boy could not be blamed for the faults of his father.
When she meets him, she says, “Your father is a murderer, but it’s not your fault, so I forgive you” (Satrapi, 46). Certainly, the main character does not realize that he may be hurting another person, but she can forgive people.
Independence of thought
Finally, a grown-up should be able to think independently, even when other people may think differently. In this regard, one can certainly mention Marjana who values their freedom and lifestyle, even even though she lives in a society in which women have to follow specific rules and norms. To some extent, this quality is displayed by Junior. Although he frequently meets children from well-to-do families, he does not reject the people from the reservation in which he lives. Moreover, Rowdy, who also lives on this reservation, remains his best friend.
Conclusion
Thus, it is possible to argue that the indispensable attributes of an adult person are the ability to take responsibility for one’s mistakes, forgiveness, and independence of thought. To some degree, these qualities are shared by Majrana and Junior. Sometimes, they misinterpret the meaning of these qualities, for instance, Junior blames himself for something that he could not avert. However, these characters can be viewed as grown-ups, even though they sometimes act like children.
Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. London: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012. Print.
Satrapi, Marjane. The complete Persepolis. Chicago: Pantheon Books, 2007. Print.