Growing up is hard to do, and in Bronx Masquerade, the kids in Mr. Ward's class have faced some tough situations, including death, violence, and abandonment. Despite this, they're still just immature high school students when the new school year starts (and our book opens). Through Open Mike Fridays, though, each of the kids in class grows and changes, making progress on their paths to adulthood. Different kids might be at different stages of their journeys, but there's no doubt that these teens are destined for some grown-up success.
Questions About Coming of Age
- How can the arts help people mature and grow? Pick a few different characters to work with.
- Which character do you feel has the most growing up to do at the beginning of the story? At the end? Why?
- What kinds of grown-up troubles are the kids in Mr. Ward's class already dealing with? How does this impact their coming of age processes?
Chew on This
Tyrone's growth and development is a representation of the way the entire class comes of age during the school year.
The kids in Mr. Ward's class demonstrate that one of the biggest challenges in getting older is learning to control your impulses, especially the bad ones.