A common trope within a coming-of-age novel is the struggle the protagonist has with self-definition. Both Ponyboy and Esperanza wish to be or look like someone other than himself or herself in the beginning of each novel and describe it in two different ways. In the fourth vignette the protagonist reluctantly reveals her name. Rather than being proud, connected, and defined by her heritage and family, Esperanza seeks to define herself on her own account. “I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees” (Cisneros 11). Esperanza is ashamed of her Spanish name and believes she can create a fresh start for herself and future. Changing her name is the way to begin that process. In the first chapter of The Outsiders, the protagonist has a “mirror moment” when describing himself to us and wishes to look more like someone…show more content… “I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman – he looks tough and I don’t – but I guess my own looks aren’t so bad” (Hinton 1). Like Esperanza, Ponyboy is self-conscious but in different way. He is not so much concerned with his unique name but rather his physical appearance. Instead of being proud of having rare green-grey eyes, Ponyboy longs for grey eyes. This belief confirms that if he could choose better looks, he would feel more comfortable in his own skin. Eventually both protagonists mature in the sense that they have come to terms with who they are and what they’re going to do in order to define themselves. Both novels share this convention of self-definition by positioning the reader as their confidant and helping them realize that they can relate to the protagonist. The audience is given reassurance that it is normal to feel this way and that they are not alone with their feelings of uncertainty partnered with their struggle to define who
