Beyond the Burning Time :: Essays Papers

Beyond the Burning Time Mary’s Struggle Maturation is the emergence of personal and behavioral characteristics through growth process. In the novel Beyond the Burning Time, by Kathryn Lasky, Mary Chase goes through these growth processes. In the end Mary goes through many changes and becomes a very mature person. Mary will change in the concept that she will become more aggressive and motivated in making her own decisions. She also becomes more vigorous as well as courageous in a sense that she takes the initiative to save her mother when everyone loses faith. Plus she becomes bolder in addition to more demanding due to having to sneak around and do things she never would have thought of before. She is no longer the quiet little girl that she was. When her mother is taken Mary makes it her obligation to save Mrs. Chase. Mary’s aggression and motivation is what drives her to get her mother. When her mother was arrested she was alone. Mary loved her mother so much that she had to free her. When Mary couldn’t find her mother she became angry because Caleb seemed to give up hope. â€Å"Well, we must find out,† Mary said firmly. â€Å"Somehow, we must find out† (240). This motivation that she has helps her and Caleb to find their mother. Mary was also the one who came up with the plan to save Virginia Chase. If she would have PAGE 2 given so would everyone else. It was because of Mary that no one gave up or lost hope in their cause. During the course of the novel Mary becomes more vigorous and courageous. She is the one who takes the initiative to save her mother when Caleb loses hope. As the novel progresses she becomes more and more courageous. To sneak around and attack who used to be your best friends and defile the law takes a lot of courage. One of the greatest examples is that she will do anything to save her mother. This is shown when Mary and Caleb kill a lamb to scare Constable Dewart, â€Å"A hooded figure jumped out from behind the boulder, but instead of a human face, the head of a sheep stared at constable Dewart† (257).