Discuss the importance of growing up in the novel Falling From Grace.

Every person has their own idea of what growing up is like, and maturity is not always reflected on your age in actual years. The novel Falling From Grace by Jane Godwin explores the importance of growing up in different aspects and how it affects each character individually. This included the characters taking on more responsibilities and making their own decisions, or in some cases, did not. As you age, the once carefree kid you were will have to undertake more challenging tasks and look back on your previous choices. The older you are, the more responsibilities you have to take on. According to Andrew, Kip looks 'about seventeen', which is why he was so suspicious of him in their first encounter on the beach. Kip looks more mature and older than he is, and this is what gets him into so much trouble throughout the novel. Ted once had a temper tantrum about how adults were being way too responsible. He tries to change Kip’s mind about how adults should behave. From being distrustful of the law to telling minors to drink alcohol, Ted is misguiding Kip about the ways grown-ups are supposed to act. Annie has always felt responsible over Grace and Grace’s disappearance only made her feel guilty. At first, she thinks Grace saving the penguin ultimately leads to her falling off the cliff but as the novel progresses and Grace still is not found, she starts to introspect on her own decisions. When Grace returns, her parents are watching over Grace and Annie feels that she no longer has to as much. This might have been for the better as being responsible for someone does not necessarily mean dominating the other person. Most children were always told by their parents what to do, what is right, and the best choice in a situation. Getting older means that you have to gradually start making your own decisions. Instead of relying on parents or adults, you have to start deciding what you want in your life, not what other people want. Kip often worries about his place in the world and finds his life ‘awkward’ at times. He seems to be lost without the definition of a swimmer and questions his own decision about quitting. Kip’s parents, though he is already fourteen, still try to keep him in their bubble by not giving Kip enough freedom and space to grow up. They raised Kip on the belief of what they think is right for him, but not what he thinks is right. Kip’s parents said that 'It’s your decision' to quit swimming, though that is not the case at all. Only after quitting swimming did he realise that he was actually 'doing it for them', not himself. As the novel progresses, Kip begins to think for himself in a more mature way as he starts to leave his childhood behind and transitions to the next stage in his emotional development. Growing up is not something that happens automatically, it is a choice we make as we become older. Ted has always acted like a kid, not sensible and immature. He has a childlike need for attention and company, and sometimes is quite desperate to avoid being alone. The first time Kip goes inside his room, he thinks that 'it looks like a teenager's bedroom', showing Ted’s personality. When Ted tearfully reveals that he knows the whereabouts of Grace, Kip sees him 'look at me as if he were a child', and recognises the same look David had when he passed Kip. After a back and forth conversation between the two, Ted tells Kip to 'grow up', in which Kip responds with 'No, you grow up'. It is at this point where the readers can tell that Kip had gone past Ted in the sense of maturity. This is quite an important scene in Kip’s emotional journey. Ted also seems happy to put himself in the victim’s role, and Kip recognised this trait in him, saying 'It struck me that all Ted’s relationships would end like this – so that he could feel sour and misunderstood. Let down. Lost. ' Ted is probably the most emotionally lost of all the characters, and he still has a long way to go before he could feel as if he belonged. Falling From Grace suggests a strong sense that growing up is optional, but growing old is mandatory. Yes, sometimes age means wisdom, but it does not define the experiences we go through and the things we know. This novel tells us about the importance of growing up as well as the consequences that follow if you do not. Kip, though much younger than Ted, has become more sensible and responsible than him in many ways. Annie, who is younger than Grace, often looks after her. It tells us that growing up involves more responsibilities, making your own decisions, but also warns us about the consequences of not growing up.