The Transcendence of Coming-of-Age

 This semester, the novels we have read have all been set in a time period different to the world we live in now, and Sag Harbor is no exception--although it is set more recently than, say, The Catcher in the Rye, the culture and setting of the novel is still relatively foreign to all of us. Especially for a novel like Sag Harbor which relies heavily on references of the eighties, it can be difficult at times for us 21st-century teenagers to relate with Benji and his crew at a deep level. Furthermore, the novel tries to evoke strong feelings of nostalgia with its descriptive tangents and cultural references, which is unfortunately often lost on us. At first, I was afraid that this novel would not connect with me, as no matter how much I tried to understand what Benji was referring to especially in terms of the early hip-hop culture, the references were totally alien to me. However, despite this cultural and generational gap preventing me from experiencing many of the feelings the novel intended to evoke, the most important messages still struck me deeply. Just as it has with the other novels we have read thus far, the coming-of-age message of Sag Harbor resonated soundly.

Benji's coming-of-age is very much shaped by the setting of the world around him, deeply influenced by his apparent "paradox" of being one of the "black boys with beach houses" growing up within the eighties culture of the rise of hip-hop. Despite this setting being rather foreign to me, Benji's coming-of-age is extremely relatable. His experience near the beginning of the novel of being the "odd one out" after seeing Reggie and NP bond over something completely alien to him is something I'm sure many have experienced--that feeling of realizing that everyone in your circle has made a change that you haven't, and suddenly feeling out of place. Benji's coming-of-age being shaped by music and culture is also very relatable--I think a large part of coming-of-age for me was cultivating my personal music taste, and I think others can relate (for example, we see this as part of Jason's coming of age in Black Swan Green as he slowly grows from listening to his sister's music to choosing music of his own). Listening to music different to the mainstream helps to form your unique personal identity, and we see that with Benji as he starts to adopt the culture of the alternative music he enjoys, shaping who he is as a person. 

There are so many more examples of coming-of-age experiences that I related to, from Benji's summer job experience (especially his perfect depiction of what it's like being behind the counter during a huge rush), to his optimistic idea that the summer is going to be one of total reinvention, to his sudden overwhelming nostalgia after hearing a song on the radio. I think that the relatability of Sag Harbor--a novel which has a very strong focus on a time none of us experienced--goes to show how well the coming-of-age narrative can transcend almost any boundaries.