Coming of age stories tend to follow a similar formula in literature. They start with a slightly naïve or idealistic child who, through a series of trials and hardships, becomes an adult by the end of the book. Sound familiar? Yeah, we thought so. The Ear, the Eye, and The Arm has this formula down pat. Tendai starts out as a kid who just wants to go on an adventure, but by the time he's rescued at the embassy, he's gone through a lifetime of stories, plus he's had to grow and mature along the way. He's sheltered when we first meet him, but in the end, his dad thinks of him as an adult. (Well, almost.)
Questions About Coming of Age
- What forces Tendai to come of age? What specific examples can you find of him acting maturely? Why does he rise to these occasions?
- What does Tendai's dad realize at the end? Why do you think he starts to treat Tendai like an adult? Be specific about what he recognizes in his son and remember to give evidence from the text.
- Does Rita come of age, too? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Getting kidnapped and threatened is really tough for Tendai, but the book shows us that facing obstacles is a key part of coming of age. Without obstacles, Tendai wouldn't change so much.
Much as Tendai comes into his own over the course of the book, dude still has a lot of growing up to do.