How Does our Traumatic Past Influence out Transition from Childhood to Adulthood?
Lilly
"The oddest things caused me to miss her [Lilly's mother]. Like training bras. Who was I going to ask about that?" (Kidd 13)
When Lilly is physically maturing, she has no strong woman figure for her to look up to, which can be very hard for a teenage girl who is coming of age.
"I had caused it, that when I'd lifted the gun, the sound had torn through the room and gouged out our hearts, it was a secret knowledge that would slip up and overwhelm me, and I would take off running-" (Kidd 17)
Lilly is traumatized with what happened with her and her mother. Its a very heavy load for her to carry all throughout her life. Part of Lilly's coming of age is that she needs to learn how to deal with this secret from her past and persevere through this difficult time.
"I sank farther down, onto my heels, hardly aware of myself mumbling the words out loud, 'I am unlovable'" (Kidd 242).
Throughout Lilly's entire childhood, she has felt unlovable because her mother ran away from her and her father treats her horribly. But, as she is maturing and coming of age, Lilly realizes that there is so much more to her. August especially helped Lilly through this tough time, and helped her gain aspirational capital by showing Lilly her worth and how everyone goes through very hard times.
August
"'Most people don't have any idea about all the complicated life going on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we don't know anything about'" (Kidd 148).
August explains to Lilly through symbolism that our trauma lies within our secret lives. August is also trying to show Lilly how she is not alone, and that everyone has somewhat of a traumatizing secret. August is helping Lilly gain navigational capital, because she is telling her how everyone's experience of coming of age is difficult and confusing.
May
"When April died, something in May died, too. She never was normal after that. It seemed like the world itself became May's twin sister" (Kidd 97).
In May's past, her twin sister and basically other half committed suicide. After that experience, May never has been the same since. That is why May is almost always depressed and she feels everyone and everything's emotions.
Lilly's Mother
"When your mother got hereto Tiburon, she was practically skin and bone. May couldn't get her to eat a thing. All she did was cry for a week" (Kidd 252).
Some people can come of age at different times. Lilly's mother, for example had a many traumatizing experiences with her husband T-Ray. T-Ray treated Lilly's mother horribly to the point where she became depressed. She was so depressed that she was forced to leave her own daughter behind and run away from home.