The Nature of Adolescence, by John C. Coleman and Leo B. Hendry Essay

There have been many scientists and philosophers that have put forth information about the stages that reality go through in life. One of these representations is put forth by Erikson, in the book The Nature of Adolescence, by John C. Coleman and Leo B. Hendry. This theory has quatern steps 1. The problem of intimacy, 2. A diffusion of time perspective, or the problems of focusing on the future, 3. Diffusion of industry or the difficulty of focusing on studies, and eventually 4. Negative identity or the rebellious stage. These stages are not purely involved in the teenage years of a persons life, as they can go through and possibly stay at these stages throughout their entire life. Rebecca Fraser-Thill defines it as, Identity diffusion is one step in the process of purpose a sense of self. It refers to a period when an individual does not have an established identity, nor is actively searching for one. In other words, its a time when a persons identity remains unresolved, yet the re is no identity crisis (Thill). In the novel A enactment of the Artist as a Young humanity by James Joyce, each of these stages can be seen as the novel progresses. An analysis of the stages of development as stated by Erikson, in A delineation of the Artist as a Young Man and in my own life is needed. Intimacy problems can be seen in the early stages of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man when Stephen, the protagonist of the novel, has multiple sexual escapades with prostitutes. James Joyce tells of this, saying, It was too much for him. He closed his eyes, surrendering himself to her, body and mind, advised of nothing in the world but the dark pressure of her softly parting lips.(Joyce, Chapter 2, Section 5). This shows his reluctance to commit to a... ...in the world. Many people either do not progress, getting stuck on one level or another, or they regress back to stages that they have already surpassed. There are definitely problems in everybodys life but the best th ing to do is learn from them. These stages are not set in stone and there is no sort to fully know what happens in a persons mind. Works CitedAbout. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014. .Coleman, John C., and Leo B. Hendry. The Nature of Adolescence. N.p. Metheun and Co., 1980. Print.Erikson, Erik H. Identity Youth and Crisis. N.p. W.W. Norton and Company, 1968. Print.Melges, Frederick T. Identity and Temporal Perspective. cognitive Models of Psychological Time. Ed. Richard A. Block. N.p. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1990. 255-67. Print. SimplyPsychology. N.p., n.d.