Although he probably would have chosen otherwise, Alex takes the fast track to adulthood in The Wild Children. First his entire family is arrested in the middle of the night, leaving him to fend for himself, and then he's left homeless in Moscow, an unfamiliar city filled with unfriendly people. As he struggles to make sense of these abrupt changes, Alex learns that he'll need to grow as a person in order to not just survive but thrive. So does he do it? Aw shucks, you know we can't get down with spoilers—just keep reading to learn more.
Questions About Coming of Age
- Is Alex a man by the end of the novel? Why or why not? Explain your answer using evidence from the text.
- Are there any other characters beside Alex that go through a coming-of-age experience? If so, whom? If not, why do you think this is?
- What event/s causes Alex to mature the most? How can you tell?
- Trace Alex's coming-of-age experience over the course of The Wild Children. What are the most important moments, the ones that inspire the most growth in him?
Chew on This
In the end, Alex grows the most when he goes through traumatic experiences, such as the death of Miska.
Although Alex's coming-of-age experience takes most of the book's focus, Peter actually goes through a similar experience over the course of the novel.