Unit One: Adulthood: Our Place in the Global Village

Unit Introduction:

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What does growing up mean to a high school sophomore?  Can't we just refuse?  If not, what does it mean to join the village of adults: those who see "seven generations hence."  Canonical in its voice, Salinger’s novel provides a framework to discuss the modern myth of Icarus, the boy who fell from the sky.  Drawing from a diverse group of texts, we will piece together ways to connect the past to the present and expose the universality of the ascension to adulthood: to the top of the beanstalk, reluctantly leaving Neverland, encountering children Lost without parents.  While Rebel Without a Cause captures the confusion and anxiety of an age, Thirteen acts as a harrowing warning to modern culture, reaping the deficits of a society of siblings.  We will invariably find ourselves in these familiar stories, applying their truths to our own lives.

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Central Questions:

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• What does it mean to be an adult, and what is necessary in order to become one?

• What are the consequences to children when they grow up in a world increasingly without mentors?

• How do noble ideas such as duty, compassion, and pride lead us towards adulthood, and how are these qualities acquired?

• How can the individual participate in the global village and contribute towards a benevolent common goal?

• How do global economics cater to adolescence, and what are the consequences of its success?

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Final Essay:

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J.D. Salinger, in The Catcher in the Rye, argues that there must be a “great, great fall” ushering each of us into a world greater than that of adolescence. But what does it mean to join this village of adults?  First, drawing on your readings and class discussion, define what it is to be an adult. Then, using examples from Salinger’s novel, the 1807 version of “Jack and the Beanstalk”, Barrie’s Peter and Wendy, and the film Thirteen, discuss some of the perils, both literal and symbolic, that we face as we abandon the “indolent, careless, and extravagant” identities of childhood.  Finally, discuss how your research project demonstrates the ability to transcend adolescence, give and receive “invisible gifts,” and contribute to the health of global village?