Tad Williams
1988
The defining moment that my character faces in this book is when the young boy named Simon becomes a man. Simon has fled from his home with his master. They have traveled over many lands, and have encountered many strange people. The pair follow their king, named Josua, who is leading them and his army to attack his brother, the king of their rival country. The two have fought in a few battles and have escaped from many foes. Together, they have arrived at the mountian of Rian. Here Simon is about to turn 18 and King Josua will knight him the next day. That, according to the culture of their people, is when he will be a man.
The night before the knighting, Simon can not sleep. He walks to the observatory. While Simon is there, he reflects on his life and what he has experienced in the past few years. As he is thinking, he decides that he is ready to face his ultimate fear. He is ready to grow up.
I believe that it is in this moment that Simon becomes a man. It is not the next day when the king actually knights him, nor is it the time when his father lets him into the world on his own. Simon becomes a man when he wants to become a man. Other people may have thought he was a man, but it is Simon's choice. When Simon thinks he is a man, he is a man.
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